DPMJ: Tomb of Dreams
by RoninS636
Summary: Sequel to City in the Sky. A few months after escaping Colombia and rescuing Elizabeth, our hero is once again called into action as he helps break the circle one and for all.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The TARDIS doors opened as Dante stepped through them, looking a tad worse for wear. For starters, his clothes (which were his standard shirt/jean/hoodie combo) were ripped, torn and burnt. Not helped that the tail end of his jacket was smoking which he promptly snuffed out. Flicking a switch, the doors shut closed as he began punching in coordinates before pulling the lever which flung the TARDIS into the vortex. A relieved sigh escaped his lips as he dragged himself to a nearby armchair and flopped down into it.

"That's about what? The umpteenth time I've stopped Sontaran's from disrupting a major event that would screw the whole space-time continuum into a pretzel with their whole war against the Rutan's? 'Colonel Vrax, high ranking officer and conqueror of Brontitall' defeated by a hammer to the probic vent." He tisked, shaking his head. "Gave him a chance to escape and he instead decided to run back into the exploding ship. Well at least Strax isn't that stupid." Pausing, he thought about the potato warrior as well as the couple that made up the Paternoster Gang. "Not a bad idea actually. Might visit for Christmas or New-"

_**BONG BONG BONG**_

"Oh, what now?!" Dante whined, noting the sound of the Cloister Bell. He started trudging back down the stairs only for the ship to lurch, causing him to lose his footing. Getting his balance back, the hybrid manage to get over to the console screen to see what's wrong.

Just as he did though, the lights flickered as two familiar figures were standing right across from him.

"Mr. Price. I told you we'd meet again." Robert nodded once at Dante, bowing slightly.

"Hello, twins. It's been about a few months since we've last seen each other. How long has it been for you?"

"Oh, a few centuries, at the least," Rosalind said dismissively. "Or maybe not. Time is relative, after all, and we've become quite lost in it. But nevermind that. We are here to inform you that Ms. Elizabeth is just a few days away from completing her rather heinous goal. We would suggest you travel there at once to either intercept her or help her, whatever it is that you plan on doing."

"Straight to the point, then," Dante quipped.

"Indeed. Shall we remind you of the many things you are forbidden from doing?" Robert asked.

"I can guess. Don't interfere with anyone too major or end up killing them, intentional or not." Dante surmised.

"Very good. We will be keeping in touch, so to speak, but do not call upon us to solve your problems unless it is of the utmost urgency."

"The year is 1958 and you already know the location. We wish you the best of luck." Rosalind allowed a tiny smile to creep onto her face.

"Also, and perhaps this is obvious, but we suggest you get a change of clothes that's more appropriate for the occasion."

"Right, right." The lights flickered once again before turning back on, the twins nowhere in sight. Dante let out a sigh. "I'm coming for you Elizabeth." He then punched in the coordinates: 67° N, 34° W 63° N, 20° W 57° N, 35° W as well as the year and whatnot before pulling the lever. It calculated that the arrival time would be close enough that he could switch into a change of clothing. A few minutes later he did exactly that, switching into his outfit that he wore in Columbia the first time around. Thankfully it had been repaired and cleaned up as he stuffed his pockets with the essentials: his sonic screwdriver, psychic paper, jelly babies and a bunch of random stuff so if he was searched, it'd take whoever was digging through his pockets awhile to finish. Lastly he pulled out the bird broach that Elizabeth had given him before she'd departed. He gave it a slight squeeze before putting it in his waistcoat pocket and headed from the wardrobe back to the console room. And just in time too, as the TARDIS had just landed with a _**THUNK**_ as he straightened out his outfit, punched in a timed command and headed out the door. Dante took a peak before stepping outside and closed the door behind him just as the TARDIS dematerialized, journeying back home till it was called upon. In the few months after his venture in Colombia, he'd manage to get a beta version of his "return to sender" program installed. Basically if he were to twist his Ultramatrix in a certain combination, it would call for the TARDIS to come back. That small detail aside, Dante took in his surroundings, which happened to be an alleyway, and breathed in the air. Salty and a tad fishy was the best way to sum it up as he made his way into what looked like a string of architectural firms, shopping centers and lodgings. He sought to make his way down the street, blending in with the hussle and bussle until feeling the ground shake. Lumbering towards him is what looked like a very distinct heavy diving suit, its entire torso of which was covered by a thick metal carapace. The head protruded directly forward from the upper chest area and was encased in a hemispherical helmet studded with eight lit portholes. In addition there was a large, fully-functional conical drill attached to the right arm just forward of the elbow. It was none other than the repairman/protector known simply as a Big Daddy. Before he had a chance to act, a hand had grabbed Dante's arm as he was pulled to the side.

"That was close." The owner of the arm, a woman from the sound of her voice, sighed in relief before turning to the young man. "Now, what in the hell did you think you were doing? Should know better than to get up in front of a Big Daddy."

"Sorry, kinda new here." Dante apologized. "Didn't know if they were blind or not."

The woman gave him an incredulous look, eyeing him suspiciously. "As well as that might be, you should steer clear of them. Heard one of them managed to put a man in the hospital. Damn near killed him."

"I see." He realized before sticking his hand out. "Dante Price."

She returned the handshake, nodding once. "Grace Holloway. It's nice to see more friendly people around these parts."

"Thank you, Ms. Holloway. Funny, I knew someone once by that name who just so happened to be a doctor."

"A...doctor?"

"Did I say doctor? I meant nurse." He chuckled nervously.

"Right…" To her credit, she was no fool—she didn't look like she believed him in the slightest. "Well, nevermind that. What brings you to Siren Alley?"

"Well, I'm trying to find someone. An...old friend, if you will. Well, not quite, but...it's complicated."

"I see. This fellow have a name?"

"A P.I. You might've heard of him, goes by the name Booker DeWitt."

Grace paused as she was about to take out a cigarette from a pack she pulled from her purse. "Yeah, I've heard of him."

"I can tell by your tone that his reputation isn't all that clean."

"No shit. I'll give the bastard this, he can find you even if you're trying your damnedest to hide, whether you like it or not." She finished digging a cig out of the pack, dug around for her lighter, and took a long drag before turning back to Dante. "You need his help or somethin'?"

"Or somethin'. Know where he lives?"

Grace nodded, taking another drag. "Yeah, everybody knows." She huffed a laugh. "He don' get out much, 'cept to drink or bet on races. Nobody really likes him. Lives in his office on Market Street, far east end. Be careful where you step there-lotsa rich folk live there and they won't mind using people like us as a stepping stool to get what they want."

"Gotcha. Thank you so much for the advice. One last thing, though-do you think you can point me to the fastest way there?"

_**XxxxxX**_

Grace pointed him towards the nearest train station where he boarded what was essentially an underwater train. The transport was pressurized and was sturdy enough to withstand the force of the ocean. It took awhile but he managed to make it to Market Street where Grace's words indeed rung true. As as soon as he stepped off the train, there were people all around in tight dresses and crisp suits glancing at him with wrinkled noses and whispered words to their companions. He ignored them as he made his way to his destination, and wow, the place was as fancy as he propel. Or was it the other way around?

The area looked like it catered to the middle to upper-class citizens of Rapture as a center where they could dine and live in style. The place consisted of a strip of shops, residential complexes, and various businesses, with a street overlooking other buildings. It had a spectacular view of the sea and Streamline Moderne grandeur; truly this place showcased the best of Rapture's design. As he walked through the area, admiring the sights, he stopped a couple passerbyers, and they all pointed him up a set of stairs that led to a platform that overlooked the bottom area. As it turned out, Booker was indeed well-known and slightly infamous to boot. He headed up the stairs, taking two at a time just because he could, and once he reached the top, he knocked on the door. Jiggling the handle, Dante noted it was locked before making sure no one was looking, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and unlocked the door. He stepped inside before closing and locking the door behind him, noting that there was no one here.

'Time to snoop, I suppose,' he thought, and began his search. For what, he didn't exactly know, but he figured whatever he could find would be helpful. He spotted the usual creature comforts and decorations: a heater oven in the corner, a military shadow box hanging on the wall, pots and pans hanging over a desk that was against the wall. A desk, covered in scattered paperwork and pencils and pens, sat near the center of the room, and a little behind it, to the right side, was a sleeping area. There were also a plethora of race tickets and several bottles of booze around either on the desk or on the floor. 'Looks like some things never change.' All that aside, Dante went over to the desk to see what he could find, opening the draws and digging through them. What he found mostly consisted of empty cigarette boxes, an ashtray, and a few various writing utensils before he came across something interesting: a picture of a little blonde haired girl with a doll with the words 'Sally with Sarah 1957' written on it. Unlike the rest of the items on the desk-or, indeed, in the apartment itself-the picture was placed neatly on the desk, propped up against the calendar. In addition, the head of the doll in the picture was sitting on the desk, though it remained attached to the doll in the picture itself.

"What's this?" Dante mused out loud, taking a seat at the desk so that his back was to the door. "Sally...huh. I know that face…"

He didn't have much time to ponder that little thought as he suddenly felt a sharp pain at the base of his skull. As he fell forward, the broach he'd put in his vest had fallen out of his pocket, skidding across the floor. The intruder didn't turn their gaze from Dante, moving in closer; meanwhile the stunned traveler was trying to inch closer to the broach, hoping to retrieve it so as not to lose it to what he assumed to be a petty thief. Speaking of which…

The intruder walked closer before stepping a heeled foot onto his hand just as he got near the pendant. He hissed in pain, trying to twist his head to see who exactly was stepping on his foot, but he couldn't quite manage it and anyways, it was too dark.

"Look, you can kill me if you want-well, you can try, at least-but let me at least have that first. It's rather important," he pleaded, not sure if the intruder was armed with anything lethal.

The intruder, about to bring down their weapon a second time, stopped dead. "Wait a damn second. Are you-no, it-can't be." Dante heard the intruder-who sounded strangely familiar, he noted-walk over to an unspecified location, the sound of a switch being flicked, and boom, there was light. In front of him stood none other than Elizabeth herself, dressed in a pencil skirt, fishnet stockings, and a crisp white blouse. Her short hair had grown itself out and settled nicely on her shoulders. Her features were accentuated now with a bit of dark mascara and bright red lipstick, which did well to highlight the look of shock and surprise on her face as she looked at Dante.

"_Dante?_"

The man himself, to his credit, recovered his composure quickly, and managed to turn himself around, stand up, and quickly scoop up the broach as he made his way towards her. "Hey Elizabeth," he managed to get out before feeling for the spot on the back of his head where he'd been hit. "Ow, that's smarts!"

She winced as well, looking to her credit a bit ashamed. "Ah, right...sorry about that. But-nevermind that now. What are you doing here, and how did you know I'd be here? Or is this all just a coincidence?"

"Coincidence?" Dante suggested, getting a wary look from his assailant. "Alright, fine, you caught me. The twins told me where to find you," he admitted, and received a groan from Elizabeth in response.

"The twins, of course. Always sticking their noses in other people's business... but anyways. First of all, it's good to see you again. I really mean that. And I wish we could catch up, maybe spend some time together, but I'm afraid that's not possible. I've still got that thing to do...but if you're here now, I'm guessing you know what it is and are either going to try and stop me or help me."

"Well, stop you, obviously. You can't go through with this and if you do..." He trailed, not really wanting to say what her fate would be if she did. "The point is you can't. I know what this one did, but you'd be no better than him if you take your vengeance out on him."

"He needs to suffer," Elizabeth said, her expression darkening. "You _know _what this one did, you said-you _know _why this one deserves it-he doesn't deserve to sit here all chusy and pretend, _forget _that. He shouldn't even exist in the first place."

"You think he hasn't suffered enough?" Dante said, waving around the room. "He's been remorseful of what he's done and he has tried to redeem himself, even if he hasn't realized he needs redeeming." He pulled out the picture of Sally and held it in front of Elizabeth's face. "Do you see this child? Her name is Sally. Comstock found her by the docks, and he cared for her. An orphaned kid, who he could have ignored like everyone else did, but he didn't. Now, that doesn't make him a saint, but it does show that there's still something left of...of _him _in there."

"Don't you _dare._" Her expression was icy cold now, stepping away from Dante as she snarled, "Don't you _dare _compare _him _to Comstock. He wasn't-he would never-" she sighed. "No. There's nothing left of this man that could in any way resemble my father. You said it yourself, that doesn't make him a saint. He still needs to get what's coming to him. You will not sway me, Dante Price. You will not stop me. So either get on board, or get out of my way."

Dante scoffed in response, a few unintended chuckles escaping from him.

"Something funny?" she sneered, looking up at him. She crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes, still frowning.

"Oh, nothing funny. Not really. But...just...Elizabeth, _listen _to yourself. That's exactly what someone says when they basically are asking to die. Instead of just living they just dig their own graves and wait for someone to push them in, not expecting it at all. Now wanting for someone to take into account for their actions is fine but it doesn't make you judge, jury or executioner. If you go through with this then it will happen this way: you make the kill, but your pain doesn't die with Comstock, it grows. So you run out into the night to find another face, and another, and another, until one horrible morning you wake up and realize that revenge has become your whole life. And you won't know why."

The words clearly affected Elizabeth more than she cared to show. The tension drained from her face and she immediately lessened her stance, frowning slightly instead of intently now. She didn't speak, but fixed her lessened gaze on Dante, less intense but no less piercing. He took that as his sign to keep going.

"In the end, could you live with yourself knowing you killed a man who, yes, has been trying to drown the memories, but at the same time trying to redeem himself?"

"How _exactly _has he been trying to redeem himself? It doesn't count if he doesn't know he's done anything wrong." Her voice is still sharp, but it's...softer, now-somehow. Her words are no longer meant to pierce or wound, but to simply understand, which is what Dante had been working towards. He resisted the urge to smile at the new development. "Taking care of a child can be redemption yes, and I suppose subconsciously he did want to redeem himself….so I suppose you're right…"

"You know how you knew that?"

"How?"

He allowed a small smile to form. "You started to think like me." Dante let out a sigh, sliding his hands over his face. "Keep on that thought, I won't rush you. In the meantime, know any places to get a drink?"

"I…" she finally allowed herself a small but rueful smile, shaking her head as she huffed. "Yeah. I might know somewhere. And, ah, while we're at it...maybe we should talk."

_**XxxxxX**_

The two made their way from the office, walking side by side, towards a bar by the name of Le Temps Perdu. They managed to find two open stools and as they sat down, the barkeep walked over to them.

"Hello Songbird!" he said cheerfully, not paying much attention to Dante. "Will it be the usual?"

"Yes, brandy and…" She looked over to her compatriot, hoping that he would get the hint and fill in the blanks for her.

"Rum, straight up."

"Alright, one brandy and one rum for the Songbird and her friend." The barkeep read back as he went back behind the bar to make said drinks. Elizabeth turned to Dante, grinning slightly.

"What?"

"Mmm," she shrugged noncommittally, "Nothing. Just...you're looking at me funny. Anything in particular you wanna talk to me about?" Her eyes twinkled with mirth, and her grin widened a bit more in playful flirtation.

"Well," Dante replied, returning the smile, "I was just curious about a few things. Like how long you've been here."

"Six months."

"Huh. It's been two months for me. Then again, different dimensions, different time zones." He leaned forward on the bar, looking around a bit. "But what and how have you been doing since we last saw each other?"

"Fairly decent. You've seen my poster around, haven't you? 'Cohen's Little Songbird'. Not a bad gig, I'll admit, though I loathe my employer." She made a face, and that was the moment that the bartender finished with their drinks and set them down in front of their respective drinkers. "Thanks, Dom." She raised her glass in appreciation before taking a sip.

"Gotta admit, the name's ironic considering...well, you know. And yeah, heard Cohen's a little...eccentric." Dante phrased, taking a sip from his own drink. He knew the man was essentially a psychopath, even before the city's downfall, but then again he was an artist in a city with little to no god and rulers. "You know, I have heard you sing. Not here though, back at the tower. But I'm curious, what has Cohen been making you croon?"

"Ah, well," she smiled wryly, letting the mention of her former place of imprisonment slip. "_Beyond the Sea, You Belong to Me, Rise Rapture Rise, _oh! A few French songs, _La vie en Rose _in particular is a favorite of many. Those are _my_ favorites. Ah...but most times he just has me sing the songs he writes, from his plays or just BS propaganda for Ryan." She makes a face, displeased with the notion, but shrugs again. "Can't turn down decent work though, can I? Anyways, it's just a temporary gig. Or...it was supposed to be." She looks meaningfully at Dante.

"Would love to hear you sing. Maybe a dance as well."

"Well, I've got a gig tomorrow night. Cohen's club, seven o'clock sharp. I'm supposed be on for thirty minutes. Maybe I could get you a reservation."

"That'd be wonderful," he grinned. "Though, I also heard that it requires invitation or did I hear wrong?"

"Oh, no, that's for his private parties. I myself went to a couple of them but…" She hesitated, swirling the contents of her glass. "Let's just say he can get a bit _too_ passionate. I would not recommend going if you're not used to his antics. And even then, I would be cautious and have someone on standby to escort you home."

"Well, I've meet and known some people who are...let's just say _enthusiastic_ about their line of work so I feel like I'll be right at home."

"Still. There's no way either of us are going to a private party of his unless I'm hired. In which case, you'd better be there suffering with me." She grinned widely. "Anyways...enough about me. What about you? What have you been up to?"

"I've just been traveling around as usual. Visited some friends, people I consider family, saved people along the way. Think I might've introduced the concept of cookies to some alien tribals while stopping some Sontarans."

She didn't say anything in response, but her eyes lit up and her grin intensified. "And?" she prompted when he didn't continue. "Tell me about it."

"Well...it all started when I was trying to reassemble one of the TARDIS console boards…"

_**XxxxX**_

"Seriously?"

"No joke, had to surf Florinall Nine's fire falls to escape them. I swear it wasn't even deliberate, I just jumped. Then again, that happens a lot of the time."

"I can imagine," she said, even though she couldn't really. "How often have you done that exact thing?"

"Honestly? Too many times to keep count of. Such is a day in the life of an adventurer." Dante sipped a bit of his drink, letting the taste numb his mouth some more. Dom had come by a few times to top off their drinks and by this point both were pretty buzzed, Elizabeth more so than Dante due to his enhanced metabolism. "So...where do we stand?"

"How do you mean?"

"I mean...can we even call it a relationship despite being apart for how long it's been?"

She looked thoughtful at that, tilting her head curiously as she pondered the question. "Well...if we're being completely honest? We didn't really have one in the first place. Yes, I like you, and I know you like me too. We kissed and we've been through a lot. But...we didn't really _date, _you know? We didn't really get a chance to sit down and talk about our feelings in depth. I'd like to try, of course."

"Well... I think we're going to need a few more drinks for that."

"You're telling me you don't even want to think about a relationship with me unless you're completely piss-drunk?"

"No, I mean this isn't really a thing that's done in public. Though, getting piss-drunk helps get more stuff out there."

"I mean, fair enough, but telling a story about how you introduced an entire alien species to the concept of cookies, plus stopping Sontarans from warping time and space, isn't really, either."

"Point taken, but most people would glance at that as gibberish and nonsense. Talking about feelings, however, is reserved for private places, and I'd rather not get into this now."

"I suppose," she finally relented, but she didn't sound happy about it. Too bad. She stood up from her stool, straightening out her skirt as she did so, and glanced at Dante. "Well, if we're going to do this, let's continue over at my place. I've got some vintages I've been meaning to open."

Dante got up from his seat as well, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Sure but what about the tab?"

She smirked, looking at him meaningfully. "Well, that's why I've got you," she replied in an overly sweet tone.

"You're kidding? I don't carry any money with me, no need for the stuff."

"It's all good. My tab's covered by Cohen anyways. But you're not as smart as I thought if you don't think there's any use for money."

"Oi, where I go depends. Plus, kind of hard to fork over a piece of paper with Ryan's face on it when there's no easy way to get it."

"You mean like an ATM? Yeah, they don't really have those here, considering they won't be invented for another nine years."

"How do you know that?" Dante questioned, giving her an odd look.

"Doors, remember?"

"Well then, lead the way."

_**XxxxX**_

It took awhile but the duo made it back to Elizabeth's apartment in Olympus Heights. Taking her key out of her purse, she unlocked the door, flipped a switch on the wall that turned on the lights and lead Dante inside.

"Make yourself comfortable while I get the wine and glasses." She invited him to sit on her couch with a wave of her hand before disappearing, and leaving Dante to his own devices.

Taking off his jacket and unbuttoning his vest, he took this as his chance to look around the apartment, noting various different small but important aspects that he otherwise wouldn't have thought of when it came to her-but put together like this, complied like a collection of sorts, it all made sense with her. The apartment, from what he could see from his position on the couch, was...well, it wasn't sparsely decorated, but it wasn't overly so, either. No pictures hung on the walls nor sat upon the mantle-in fact, there didn't appear to be any pictures in here at all. There were instead some posters, of herself and he assumed other influential people either in Rapture or the outside world, and Dante was fairly certain that one of the posters was of the famous French singer Edith Piaf.

Moving on from that, he noted with some surprise a baby grand piano tucked away in the corner of the living room, sheet music resting against the music stand. He couldn't make out what it was from here, but he resolved to ask later; most likely it was one of the songs she was supposed to perform soon. He didn't see any other instruments lying about, so unless she had some hiding in her room, he was going to assume that that was it. There was really nothing else of personal taste to see; a bookshelf, pushed against the wall on the far right side of the room, and a few books laying around the area, one with a bookmark and another simply lying open and facedown. He could make out one title as it was situated on the coffee table next to the couch, within arm's reach-_Phantom of the Opera. _Huh. She liked the classics, then. Of course she did.

He turned his attention away from that and noted that though there were little to no personal effects, she had spared no expense on furniture and decorations. There were shiny bits and baubles situated on the bookshelf, the mantle, the coffee table-any flat surface held at least one shiny trinket, whether it was a scale model of Rapture or a collector's item from some fancy club. Her couch was nice and cushy, Dante sinking comfortably into the cushions, and the pillows, though decorative, were soft and could easily be actually slept with. The two other chairs that were in the room looked fancy yet comfortable as well-they matched the couch so it was more than likely part of a set, so they probably were. The curtains hiding the large window that almost spanned the entire left side of the room were lacey and light, and the window seat had a few pillows and what looked from here to be a ball of yarn situated against one of them. Knitting, if Dante had to guess. There was a glass chandelier providing most of the light in the room, swaying gently high above him. The sheets of glass providing the design and the gentle, warm glow that it emitted made him feel a bit like he was in a castle, or a fancy restaurant. The lamp on the coffee table was similar-though it wasn't turned on, it too boasted of extravagance, the multicolored stained glass lampshade depicting a blue monarch butterfly on the front, and a winding glass flower underneath, twisting its way up the neck of the lamp. It was very beautiful, and fit right at home with the rest of Elizabeth's apartment-he even dared to say that apart from Elizabeth herself, it was the prettiest thing in here.

Speaking of...

Dante's attention was suddenly brought sharply back to reality when two perfectly manicured fingers snapped in front of him, and when his gaze traveled upwards he was met by Elizabeth holding out a glass in front of him, filled halfway with a rich, dark red liquid.

"There he is," she joked, finally handing him the glass.

Dante noticed that she was wearing a salmon colored nightgown. It was almost angle length, with a v-neck, and lighter-colored, poofy fur lining the ends of the sleeves. He also took note that she had taken off her makeup, looking...natural for lack of a better word. A small detail he didn't notice beforehand was the ribbon he'd given back in Colombia her was still on her wrist. Looking up, he smiled at her while taking the glass, "I never left. Also I'm surprised you kept it. The ribbon I mean."

She gave him a strange look, moving to sit beside him and crossing her legs as she laid back. Elizabeth took a couple sips of her drink before responding to that. "Of course I kept it. It's not worthless or anything. Just because I'm going after Comstock doesn't mean I don't love you."

"Well here's an idea: let's try to figure out an alternative then just killing him—otherwise we're no better than he is."

A long pause. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she finally conceded, shooting him a withering glance. "But, I am not letting him get away with this. Maybe I won't kill him, but I am still definitely getting my revenge."

Dante scoffed in response. "Revenge, the most worthless of causes. Justice is what you're looking for."

"Fine, whatever. You're already pushing your luck with this 'don't kill' thing. Obviously I was going to kill him, you're trying to dissuade me from doing just that now, and obviously you aren't going to just let this go, so I won't kill him. But I'm still getting reve-justice," she corrected herself, nodding. "Right. I suppose he should be alive to suffer for the rest of his miserable days."

"Death is just an easy way. But living with what you did is just as worse."

"Even worse." She grinned at him, maneuvering herself so that she could clink glasses with him. He didn't return the action but let her clink her glass with his.

"Don't, don't do that." He made a face, cringing at her tone and her almost malevolent grin.

She quickly schooled her face into a more neutral expression, correctly guessing what his issue was. "Eh, sorry, I'll. Ah. Try not to?" she grinned apologetically, and sighed when Dante nodded. "Ah, but I _have _missed you. Once all this fuss is over with, I'll have you take me on a _real _date. Ooohh, maybe in Paris. We still need to go. You did promise me."

"_After_ we're finished here. Also showing you...well, the whole of time and space is a bonus."

"I'm sure. I can't wait. Oh, I want to read all the books and drink all the drinks and see the big blue sky and actually feel the warmth of the sun for once. You know, back in Columbia it was so high up that it was always cold, even in July. I'd love to sweat from the heat for once."

"Guess life down here isn't all that glorious. Though looking through your window to see a shark, a squid or even a whale swim by gets pretty novel."

"Oh, for sure. It was amazing at first, but after the first six times it got kind of annoying whenever my apartment would shake just because of some jerk whale."

"They're completely harmless! Besides it's better than living by the B line, asleep at twelve at night and then the train decides to come through."

The two went on back and forth, talking about little, big, or insignificant details. He told her more about his adventures, and people he'd met or helped to influence. She in turn told him all about Rapture, promised to take him to some fancy clubs, and caught him up on all that she'd been doing. He commented on her clear taste for the finer things in life and she responded back with a witty, "Well, one of us has to, honey!" Finally, as Elizabeth went into detail about what a horror Cohen was to work with, he remembered the baby grand in the corner of the room.

"You play the piano?" he asked in the next lull in the conversation.

"I can play pretty well. Cohen's been force-feeding me lessons. Can you play?"

"Yes as well as dramatic recitals, tap-dancing and play the Trumpet Voluntary in a bowl of live goldfish. Don't ask about that last one. Please."

She snorted in amusement, shaking her head. "Don't worry, I won't." She looked over to the piano, tilting her head, and then looked back at Dante. "You wanna play something?"

"Thought you'd never ask." He drank down the rest of his wine before sitting down at the instrument, pressing the keys to make sure they were in tune before starting. Elizabeth watched in amusement, refilling her own wineglass and noting in dismay that it was almost empty. Dante finally got comfortable and began to strike the keys, beginning to sing:

_It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside_

_I'm not one of those who can easily hide_

_I don't have much money, but boy if I did_

_I'd buy a big house where we both could live_

_If I was a sculptor, but then again, no_

_Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show_

_I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do_

_My gift is my song, and this one's for you_

_And you can tell everybody this is your song_

_It may be quite simple, but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is while you're in the world_

_I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss_

_Well, a few of the verses, well, they've got me quite cross_

_But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song_

_It's for people like you that keep it turned on_

_So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do_

_You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue_

_Anyway the thing is what I really mean_

_Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen_

_And you can tell everybody this is your song_

_It may be quite simple, but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is while you're in the world_

_I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is while you're in the world_

Finishing the song with a last few notes, Dante removed his fingers from the keys before looking over to Elizabeth, who was staring at the keyboard with a thoughtful look as she took another sip of her wine. She then pursed her lips. "That was beautiful. What was that song?"

"Your Song."

"All mine?" She arched an eyebrow, amusement evident on her face.

"Do you want it to be?" Dante questioned, knowing it'd be somewhat of a trick question since that was the title of the song.

"Hmn. Maybe." She leaned down, until she and Dante were a hair's width apart, her wine-sodden breath ghosting over his lips, and she smirked. "Prove it to me."

Grinning in response, Dante pretended to think about it. "As you wish," he said finally before he leaned forward and sealed her lips with his.

_**XxxxX**_

Elizabeth woke up with a slight headache and safe to say a small amount of regret as she recalled the night before. Though, said regret was quickly replaced by happiness as she also recalled the more exciting and romantic parts of last night. The mixed scent of fried eggs, bacon, toast and freshly made coffee helped her slight stupor. She sniffed a couple more times to make sure her senses were working correctly, and once she confirmed she rose out of bed, got dressed, and made her way to her kitchen. Once there she found, as she suspected, Dante standing over her stove making breakfast. She was about to announce her presence when he spoke.

"Morning. Or at least what passes for morning down here, hard to tell. Coffee on the table to help with your hangover, didn't know if you took milk or sugar so I just left some besides it." He nodded over to said table, gesturing for her to sit down, which she did. She began to add her preferred amount of confections to her coffee before she noticed Dante looking at her funny.

"So...when did you take up smoking?" Her expression showed that Elizabeth needed a tad more explanation, her look accented by a sharp eyebrow upwards. "I noticed during our...session last night. That stuff leaves a distinct taste, you know. Not trying to sound like a controlling jerk, but you should quit. It's unhealthy and it will kill you. I know you don't like hearing it, but it's the truth. Maybe we can get you some patches, or even a vape pen, but-"

Elizabeth snorted, waving a dismissive hand and shaking her head. "Ohh, don't worry, don't worry. Somehow I don't think that will be that hard."

He was somewhat confused by her reaction, though he did have an inkling as to what she meant. "What do you mean?"

Elizabeth shook her head, smiling thinly. "Truth? I don't even like smoking. The taste is disgusting, and the smell is…" she stopped for a second, trying to come up with an adequate word, but nothing came to mind. Finally she simply shrugged. "Not for me. It's only for show; fancy parties and trying to get info out of people. Even then I never finished a stick, and ditched it as soon as I was out of sight. I don't think it'll be too much trouble to have me quit 'cold turkey', as they say."

Dante nodded, happy that he didn't have to actually do anything. "Alright, that's good. So, aside from your performance tonight, what could we do before then?"

"Hmn. I did say that I wanted to show you the good clubs and places to eat. There's some other stuff to do, like casinos and strip clubs, but I don't think we need to visit those." She tilted her head in thought. "Well, maybe _one _casino. If you want. I'm not a frequenter but it can be a bit fun."

"Oh, that's a bad idea. Let's just say….I may or may not have been banned from several dozen casinos."

"Dare I ask why? It's just as well really, but I'm sure it's a fascinating story."

"Long story short: I either kept winning or it was simply a case of wrong place, right time."

"Ah." She nodded sympathetically, stabbing her eggs with her fork. "Well, alright then. Oh! I've got an idea. Have you heard about Arcadia? It's basically this big forest inside of Rapture. All of the oxygen down here comes from there. We could go there. I've been before, but not often-it's more of a couples retreat kind of thing. I don't really think there's anything else surface-like...I mean, aside from that creepy amusement park. I don't wanna go near it. I think there's also Dionysus Park? Later on in the night we can grab a drink at a club, possibly the one I have a gig at. Despite it being owned by Cohen, the drinks there are pretty good."

"That sounds pretty interesting. Arcadia I mean; I heard that the amusement park is basically Ryan stroking his own massive ego."

"You got that right. For now, let's just finish our breakfast and get you some more Rapture appropriate attire. What you've got is good, I just...think it could be better."

"Fair enough, I guess. I just grabbed the least conspicuous thing out of the wardrobe and threw it on. But yeah, let's finish up our breakfast and head out."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"You doing your makeup?" Dante asked, digging through his pocket and pulling out an unfolded red tie. "Honestly you look better without it."

"Thanks, but no way am I walking out of the house without it on. Imagine the papers," she laughed from the bathroom, and Dante could imagine her shaking her head. "This stuff feels so weird on my face, and I have to eat weird to avoid messing it up. It's bad for your skin too, apparently. Ugh. Are you almost ready?"

"Just about." He tugged on the tie as he checked the mirror, admiring how it looked against his neck. "There," he thought to himself as he smirked in the mirror, then turned and headed off to find Elizabeth.

"I'm here, I'm here," she called out, as if she sensed what he intended to do, and came out of the bathroom, putting her lipstick in her purse. "Remind me later I need a new shade, this one's getting boring. Anyways, shall we?"

Dante took a moment to appreciate the dress she had on—the red fabric, clearly an expensive addition to her wardrobe, hugged her figure tightly around the upper area and fanned out near the waist, still staying close but allowing for free movement even though it fell short only above her ankles. Modest, but beautiful, like its wearer. A red sash of sorts, a shade darker than the rest of the dress, cinched around the waist. Holding out his arm, he replied, "We shall."

_**XxxxX**_

Their first destination was Dionysus Park. They arrived there by tram a little after 10:30, and stopped to buy a pack of chips and a couple of soda before making their way into the park itself. The advertisements for the place boasted a cinema, art gallery, carousel and a garden. Elizabeth admitted to Dante as they passed through the entrance hall that she had never really been here before-though she had had ample reason to, being invited by a number of rich higher-ups to attend their private parties, she'd never wanted to spend more time with them than she had to.

"It's nice," she'd said as they walked through, "I'm glad I got to experience it for the first time with someone I actually like. That way the experience isn't tainted."

"I'm glad. You know, you're not bad company yourself-" He was interrupted as a small body collided with his legs, sending him stumbling back a bit and almost knocking Elizabeth's drink out of her hands. He looked down in shock and realized that there was a small child mumbling out a rapid succession of apologies and dusting off her white dress.

"I'm very sorry, sir!" the girl apologized again with a clipped British accent. "I didn't mean to make you almost fall. But you didn't, so it's alright! Isn't it?"

"It is," said Dante, straightening up and dusted his pants straight. "But you should be careful where you're headed."

The girl nodded, her braided pigtails bouncing slightly as she did so. "Right."

"What are you doing here by yourself?"

The girl opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, a woman's shrill voice cried out, "_Eleanor! _Come back here _at once! _What have I told you about-oh." The source of the voice came around the corner, mouth open in a half-yell, but it quickly closed when she took in the pair. The no doubt parent of the child, a short but smartly dressed woman with pinned back blond hair and crescent glasses, tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at the couple before relaxing her stance, pushing her daughter to her side defensively. "Hello," she said in the same British accent as her daughter. It was smooth and calming, but there was a certain light coldness to it. "I don't believe I've seen you around here before…"

"I'm Dante Price," he held out his hand which she didn't take right away, looking at it curiously before shaking it gently. "And this is Elizabeth."

The woman's eyed slid over to Elizabeth before they widened, and her stance completely changed as her shoulders relaxed, the hand on her daughter's shoulder lighted their grip, and her tone immediately became friendlier. "Ah, yes! I do believe we have met." She offered her hand to Elizabeth first, who shook it in a way that screamed comfortable familiarity. "I am an avid fan of yours, Miss Elizabeth, as you already know. I was planning to attend your performance tonight, actually-I wanted to discuss something with you. It can of course, wait, as it is business and no doubt you are here on pleasure."

Elizabeth smiled, and Dante was a bit surprised to see some genuine warmth there. "I'm glad you'll be able to make it. It's been a while, we have quite a bit we can talk about."

"Indeed." She looked down suddenly as the small child tugged on the hem of her mother's shirt. "What is it, Eleanor?"

"Can I go on the carousel?"

The woman, who had still not introduced herself but Dante already had a sneaking suspicion he already knew, sighed. "Eleanor, you must stay by my side at all time. I will not have a repeat of last week's incident, and you have already disobeyed my orders at least once today." She turned back to the couple, and explained, "I allowed her to run a bit in front of me while we were visiting the gallery. She went farther than she was supposed to and quickly got lost, and in her panic she nearly destroyed a thousand dollar piece of artwork. Don't ask me how, I've no idea either. I was frantic searching for her but she was right under my nose the whole time! Can you imagine?" She huffed, shaking her head and Elizabeth chuckled in response, nodding sympathetically. She then seemed to realize something as Dante smirked as well. "Oh, goodness, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sofia," she offered, then paused for a split second before continuing. "Sofia Lamb." She nodded once at him, smiling pleasantly. "And this is my daughter Eleanor, as I'm sure you've already gathered."

"I'm turning seven soon!" she grinned, in lieu of a greeting.

"Seven?!" Dante gasped, looking shocked as he glanced at Eleanor, though to everyone except for the child it was obvious he was faking. He leaned down a bit to be at eye level with her, wearing his best kid-friendly smile and impressed face. "Woah, you don't seem almost seven. You act more like a grownup!"

At this Eleanor shifted from confused to giddy. She giggled, bouncing on her feet a bit as she smiled. "Yep! Mum says I'm 'more mature' than the other kids. I don't know what that means but she says it's good."

"It is, don't worry. You must be pretty smart, then! Hey, do you like books, then?"

"I do! Mum has me read lots and lots of books. I'm reading The Time Machine by H.G. Wells right now, and it's really good."

"The Time Machine, huh? I read that too recently. It's a great book, and definitely worth the read-it's probably one of my favorites."

Eleanor gasped in delight, and a quick glance at Sofia herself revealed that she was surprised but not unpleased with Dante's attempt at conversation with her daughter. In fact, when Eleanor looked up at her mother to see if she was listening, Sofia smiled and nodded her head, encouraging her to continue the conversation.

"Eleanor, since you're almost seven, do you have any idea what you want to be when you grow up?"

Eleanor paused at this, seriously considering the question before shrugging. "I'm not sure. Mum says that I'll grow up to change Rapture for the better, and I'm going to save it. Maybe a doctor or something then? That would be cool. Or maybe a teacher like Mum!"

"Indeed," Sofia cut in, smiling down at her daughter. "Eleanor is a very special child, as you have already surmised, Mr. Price. She is to be a composite of all Rapture's genius-the first living Utopian, serving the world at large with no regard to herself. Continuing my life's work long after I am gone."

Dante wanted to make a snarky remark about how living your failed dreams through your children is a foolish and reckless thing to do, but he wisely decided that now was most definitely not the time. Clearly Elizabeth had some sort of connection to this woman, either informational or genuine, and he was not about to ruin that either way. "Sounds like she has quite the destiny," he said instead, nodding in faux appreciation. "And please, call me Dante."

Sofia didn't pick up on it, apparently, because she smiled serenely. "Yes, she does. I am glad to see that Miss Elizabeth spends her time with people as intelligent as herself-you are indeed a rather remarkable young man. I do hope we'll get better acquainted in the future. In the meantime-" and here she turned to Elizabeth again "-would you like to walk around with us? Both of you," she added quickly as Elizabeth was about to protest on Dante's behalf. "I think Eleanor has taken quite the liking to you, Mr. Price." Here she lowered her voice, taking advantage of Eleanore's momentary distraction by a passing woman with a sparkly purse. "I do think it would be good for Eleanor to talk with someone other than me-I can only answer so many of her questions, and she grows weary of me. She needs...friends, but the children around here are so..." she made a face. "Nevermind."

"Crude, I'd guess," Elizabeth offered, "Lots of kids pick up stuff from their parents that they aren't supposed to, and not all of them are nice, so it would make sense. Though I must say, as a child with a similar upbringing, the loneliness is unimaginable. Of course we'll walk with you and Eleanor, as well-I'm sure we've lots to talk about. Have you heard Ryan's new absurd policy..?"

_**XxxxX**_

They walked along, Elizabeth and Sofia talking politics while Dante and Eleanor were talking about other things. The conversation came to a halt as they came to the Chase Carousel, the multiple colored horses already snipping round and round as children laughed with glee. The ride itself also featured a herd of gazelle being chased by lions, all of which were adorned in circus attire, and a jingle played as the ride operated, its cheerful bells a wonderful accompaniment to the squeals and squawks of children.

Eleanor's face perked up as she turned to her mother, lightly tugging at her skirt and pointing at the ride. Sofia sighed, but nodded, and the girl raced off to join the queue of kids already in line to join the next ride. Sofia turned to Elizabeth and Dante and shook her head. "I know it is only natural for her to want to interact with other children her age, but...I just don't know what to do. Anyways."

"To be fair, it should be natural that she'd need to interact with other kids. Sure they're no saints, but if you want her to grow into a sociable person, she needs to know what people are like." Dante elaborated.

Elizabeth shot him a warning look, but Sofia, surprisingly, nodded. "I suppose you are right. Perhaps I should start a youth group within my club or some such thing….have her around like minded individuals…" now she was making more to herself than the others, but Elizabeth quickly regained her attention.

"Sofia, did you hear about James? Grace's…"

Sofia's voice and face suddenly took on a somber tone, shaking her head sadly. "Indeed I did. She came to me that very night, practically in tears. Of course I suspect what happened, we both do—a dreadful thing. Grace is practically family to me, one of my most staunch supporters and an aunt to Eleanor. Ryan claims this city is for speaking your mind, but God forbid your mind disagrees with his."

"Ryan's gotten out of control," Elizabeth sighed. "This whole city's going to hell. You can't speak your mind with being persecuted, you can't practice your own religion, you have to constantly fear for the safety of your children lest they be taken away from you and turned into little Frankenstein's—good Lord, it's turning into the surface."

"Wait, what is this about Grace Holloway? Who is James?"

"You know Grace?" Elizabeth asked in surprise, but then dismissed it, figuring Dante would tell her later if she asked. "James is-was-Grace's...partner. He disappeared just a couple of weeks ago; he was an avid protester against Ryan, and organized a few rallys. Then one day he just...disappeared. Right under our noses." She sighed, finally allowing the wear and tear of the city to show on her face. "And we all know what happens to people who go against Ryan. James was a good man. Grace thought he was gonna ask her to marry him. Now she's stuck in fear of her life, sining pro-Ryan propaganda and going against everything she believes because she doesn't want to disappear too."

"Ryan's a sick man," Sofia commented lowly. "He claims to want all these things for Rapture; freedom, loss of censorship, human _decency_-but he's just turned what could have been this centuries' utopia and turned it into another shiny city whose beauty only runs surface deep. Given time, and the correct resources, I could probably change this city just enough to make a difference. It's all about making friends with the right sort of people, I suppose."

"Well, I wish you safety on that. Can't make new friends without making a few enemies." Dante replied cryptically.

"For certain."

The conversation came to a sudden halt then, none of them quite knowing what to say after something like that. They watched Eleanor get her turn on the carousel, listened to the uproarious laughter of the kids, and hear that somewhat annoying jingle play on a loop again. Sofia looked at the carousel, then at Dante and Elizabeth. She seemed to be debating something.

Finally, she seemed to have made up her mind, and asked, rather suddenly, "Are you ever planning on having children, Miss Elizabeth?"

"Oh," Elizabeth nearly choked on her mouthful of chips. She swallowed, a sudden crimson blush on her face. "I. Uh...well, the question of..._that..._I never really thought about it. I suppose it wouldn't be too bad, but kids aren't really my forte and well, to be honest I haven't even thought of getting married yet. I'm still young, you know. I...had a very lonely childhood, as you know Sofia. I don't think I have the skills to raise a child the right way. I don't have that _maternal instinct _everyone's so crazy about." She shrugged, and Sofia nodded, understanding. A pensive look crossed her face, and then she turned to Dante, who froze, knowing what was coming.

"And you, Mr. Price? Is your answer much the same?"

"Uh.." Dante started to rub the back of his neck, this question not being new but very awkward to answer. "Well, I have been approached by several prospective individuals who wanted me to...essentially, wanted me to help them bear children, but I turned them down. Otherwise, I haven't thought of becoming a father. I have had to look after others children, and while cumbersome it was enjoyable."

"I see. But that does not really answer my question…"

"Then here _is_ my answer: I'm not sure. Let's just say my life has been very complicated, and my profession dangerous. Even if I were to eventually settle down and start a family, I could never stay with them for long-my job, shall we say, takes me all over."

"Former military?" she guessed, and Dante latched onto the lie.

"Yeah, pretty much. Plus I don't want to die and just leave a family behind, that would be too cruel."

"I understand," she nodded sympathetically. "Though I suppose now that you're down here in Rapture-but no, that would still be too risky. What with everything going on…"

"True, true. But who knows? My past has a nasty habit of sneaking up on me."

"I'm pretty sure that's just a rule of life, Dante," Elizabeth smirked, shooting him an amused glance. "But anyways. In short, yeah, I don't think either of us are having any children anytime soon. But it's alright, kids aren't everything, you know?"

"Only if you aren't a mother. If you are...well, then, your children are everything."

Speaking of, Elizabeth caught movement heading towards them out of the corner of her eye, and saw Eleanor herself barreling towards them, a huge grin on her face. She immediately began babbling about how great the carousel ride was, and could she please _please _go again? Sofia shook her head, saying something about wanting to see the art gallery.

"Perhaps later, before we leave," she suggested, and Eleanor frowned, but nodded, realizing that that was as good as she was going to get for now. "It has been quite...shall we say, refreshing to speak with you, Miss Elizabeth, and to meet your companion. I know Eleanor enjoyed our time together as well. I shall see you tonight, and hopefully I will be able to discuss that business I mentioned with you."

"Of course Sofia," Elizabeth smiled warmly, and then at Eleanor, "It was nice seeing you again! You've grown a bit-you're nearly above my waist now. We should get going ourselves-I have some more things to show Dante before tonight."

"One more thing before we depart company," Dante spoke up, pulling something from his pocket. "I'd like to give this little token to Eleanor, if you don't mind, Ms. Lamb." He positioned it so that only she and Elizabeth could see, and Sofia nodded in approval before he leaned down and placed it in Eleanor's outstretched palm.

"It's a butterfly!" she cried happily, cradling the delicate paper in her tiny hands. "Oh, it's so pretty, and blue. Thank you Mr. Dante!"

"You can just call me Dante, thank you. And you are very much welcome. It was nice meeting you, and I hope we run into each other again."

Eleanor beamed, Sofia smiled serenely, and the three adults shared some final goodbyes before parting ways at last.

The couple made their way to the Lamb's Garden next, which was not far from the carousel. Apparently it was opened to counter Ryan's Tea Garden due to that place needing an entry fee. Inside was a botanical garden with many plants that grew in the area, fed by an artificial lighting mechanism suspended above the room. A tree was rooted to a small patch of land in the middle of the reflecting pool which had a small waterfall that emptied into it.. There was also a staircase to the left which lead up to a balcony which looked out over the room.

The two took a seat near the pool before Elizabeth asked, "So. _Kids._" She sighed, rubbing her temple lightly. "Honestly, I'd never really thought about it, but now that the subject has been brought up, I can't stop thinking about it. I mean, I couldn't have kids even if I wanted to, with my lifestyle and all-hopping from universe to universe, one adventure after another. Who knows if I even _can_? Hell, the tears in Columbia rendered Comstock sterile, who knows what they did to me, the source of the power?" She shook her head, the question weighing heavy on her mind. "I'm just not sure about it. I mean, I know I'll never settle down and start a family, so it's a stupid thing to even think about, but…"

"Elizabeth." Dante stopped her mid sentence, making sure she didn't run out of breath. "Relax. As for that subject...I'm not so certain of that myself. I've been to a bunch of alien worlds and universes here and there, but even then I'm not sure if I'm not sterile. As for if it'd work...I'm not so certain myself. I know someone who tired that, didn't work."

Elizabeth's brows raised and her eyes widened in shock. "Really? Tell me."

"A married couple were companions for the Doctor for sometime. Long story short, they had a child, lost it and then found it again. I won't go into details but afterwards...let's just say it was rough for them. Funny enough it was one life threatening adventure that got them back together and another that tore them from us."

Elizabeth didn't say anything, but nodded slowly, a pensive look on her face. She motioned for Dante to continue after a moment.

"As for the child...well, you'll meet them someday. But my point is, we could never give them a normal life. And that's good."

"How is that a good thing?"

"Think about it: I have two hearts and you can rip holes across worlds. If we were to put them through school, they'd be ridiculed, laughed at and called crazy. But if we were to take them along, we could show them something bigger, something grander, something that would shape their future. All that aside, the thought of being a father...actually terrifies me."

"That does sound nice," Elizabeth admitted, but sighed, frowning. "But all that...the stuff that's out there and the things we've seen...if I were to raise a child, I would want them to be safe, and I can't guarantee that with my lifestyle. It'd be nice, for sure, but kids are a _huge _responsibility and require a lot of attention and care, even the teens. We can't guarantee their safety even in the seemingly most safe of spaces, because there's always something or other going on or coming up, especially in our lives. Taking a child along, especially one under the age of ten, is extremely irresponsible and reckless." She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts and seeming to finally decide something. "Though...then again, if the two of us..." she coughed uncomfortably, cheeks flaring up in embarrassment before sighing and continuing. "Had a kid. That child would probably be pretty powerful. Maybe they wouldn't inherit my powers-probably not actually, considering I wasn't born with them and I only acquired them when I was split across dimensions-but they would at least be half-time lord right? So maybe they'd have a better chance of surviving than most kids would. I don't know. It's still super dangerous."

"True but, who knows? The future's not entirely set in stone so the possibility is there."

"I suppose," she sighed wistfully, glancing over at a couple with their child, passing by them quietly. Nothing except their presence was of note. "Never say never, right?"

"Never say never," he agreed, and the two sat there in comfortable silence until they decided to continue through the garden, admiring the view.

_**XxxxxX**_

After their serene visit to the Gardens, the two made their way back to High Street, and entered The Golden Rule jewelry shop, after Dante had mentioned he wanted something altered. Elizabeth left Dante at the counter, roaming around the small shop and admiring the glittering jewels as Dante asked the jeweler if he could making a little adjustment to something he held out.

The jeweler took the item in hand, inspecting it closely for several seconds. Finally, he nodded. "It shouldn't be a problem. This thing is clearly vintage-haven't seen this design since my grandmother's days-but I should be able to do what you want without any damage. It'll have to be left here overnight, though, I got some big business order from some high-end client." Clearly, even the thought of his 'client' displeased him greatly, but he quickly schooled his expression into one of neutral disinterest.

"I'm gonna need it done before seven tonight."

"No can do, buddy. I'm sorry, you're a nice fella, but this design is old-school and I'm gonna need one of my other partners to take a look at it. He's an expert in this stuff and would be able to do it better than I can. He's out today."

"Sure I can't convince you otherwise to have it done by seven?"

The man's pleasant face immediately twisted into a face of displeasure at realizing what kind of person he was dealing with, but sighed. "Well, if you _must _have it by then, then I'll need to charge extra for collateral. About… twenty extra? What did you need done again?"

"Just a solder job. Add a necklace loop to the back."

"Alright. I'm going to warn you upfront, this job is going to be expensive in more ways than one. My employee I spoke of, it's his one day off out of the week, so now I'll need to award him an extra day tomorrow to make up for it, and Saturday is one of our busiest days-" he sighed, shaking his head. "Nevermind. I will need to be paid upfront though-it's a store policy, one which my other employees will assure you of. About one fifty I'd say? Not including collateral."

Dante nodded,dug through his pocket and placed down few wads of cash rolled up with rubber bands. "This enough?"

"Let me check." The man unrolled the money, first making sure it was legitimate before counting it out carefully, and once he was satisfied he stored the money in the till and took the item from Dante. "It'll be done. We close at seven on Fridays, but if you want it delivered for an additional sum, we can get it to you about six. Just give your apartment name and we'll send it over via Pneumo Tube. If there's something wrong, send it back and you can pick it back up tomorrow."

"That's perfect. Thank you for doing business with you, sir." Dante held out his hand, which the jeweler reluctantly shook.

"Wish I could say the same," he replied.

Elizabeth noticed Dante walking away from the counter, and quickly moved to follow him out. They weren't but a few steps away when she turned to him and told him, "We need to get you a suit. A new one."

"What? What's wrong with the one I have now?"

She looked him up and down, frowning. "It's...too modern. Too modern for here. We need to get you a real Rapture suit, from a custom tailor. We can buy you some clothes from a regular store later, but for now only the best will do. You don't want to give Cohen the wrong impression. Also...the sneakers. They absolutely have to go."

"They work."

"Mm, honey, no...I love you, but no, they don't. Also, the red...the red with the black, while very cool, doesn't really fit in around here."

"Fine, but the sneakers stay. Besides, who looks at one's shoes?"

"If you wear sneakers to my performance tonight, I'm never speaking to you again. They're hideous."

"They are not they're cool!" Dante defended but sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll wear the fancy shoes."

"_Thank _you."

_**XxxxxX**_

The two made their way to the local tailor, and as they walked in, the tailor himself came up to greet them, a warm smile on his face as he shook Elizabeth's hand.

"Greetings, Songbird! It is truly an honor to see you here again. What do you need this time? A new dress, another cloak? Perhaps you're here to see about another faux fur shoulder cape? That white one looked lovely on you last week. Real hit." He chuckled, and Elizabeth smiled, before stepping back and pushing Dante forward. He eyed up Dante, but not unpleasantly so. Rather, he seemed intrigued, especially when it came to the shoes. "And who is this fine gentleman?"

"Enzo, this is Dante. I need a custom suit for him, the latest Rapture fashion. Think you can whip something up by seven?"

"Of course, of course! Enzo is the fastest in the business, and the most skilled. It will be done and sent to you by _six_! Of that, I can promise you. Come here, sir, so that my workers can take your measurements. It won't take long."

"Lead the way."

After awhile, the measurements were taken, Enzo promised that the finest fabrics would be chosen to make the suit, as well as the best leathers for the shoes, and that his workers were already on it, and with those reassurances the two took their leave.

"Enzo is one of the only people I actually consider a friend down here," Elizabeth commented offhandedly.

"That's good! I mean, six months down here, I'm glad you made some friends."

"Well, it is kind of a shame, seeing as I'll never see them again after tomorrow."

An awkward silence fell over the two, knowing what had to be done the following day and what the days following would bring to the city. But such things were not a source of great merriment, and that is exactly what Elizabeth wanted to have before tomorrow. So, she smiled, grabbed Dante's upper arm, and pulled him along to the nearest candy shop.

_**XxxxxX**_

After arguing about where they should go next and deciding that everything else they wanted to do was more of nighttime activities, and it was still the early to mid afternoon, so after realizing this Elizabeth prompted to head back to the apartment and chill out there, to which Dante readily agreed.

They got to the apartment in record time, changed into more comfortable clothes, and relaxed on the couch, sipping on some red wine as they talked about this and that and munched on the candy they bought. As Dante pulled out a licorice from the bag, he suddenly got a brilliant idea as Elizabeth finished up the story about the woman and her cocker spaniel she was talking about.

"Tried this yet?" he asked suddenly, holding up the other end of the piece of candy. "Bite down on this."

Elizabeth, to her credit, didn't even question the strange command, and did as she was told. Dante did the same and started chewing, and she did the same. After a few moment, their lips met in the middle. The moment they did, electricity shot through them both and the kiss deepened seconds later, Elizabeth's hands pressing against the back of Dante's head while he held her hips. They could still taste the candy on the other, adding some sweetness to the kiss that got them more riled. Elizabeth pushed Dante back on the couch, settling on top of him as their hands got more adventurous and the kiss even deeper...

_DING DONG_

At first they didn't notice it, their lips still interlocking and smacking until it the bell was rung once again. Much to their disappointment, they were forced to stop as Dante got up and opened the door, adjusting his bow tie and straightening his hair before he did so.

"Yes?"

"Package for Mr. Price?" the delivery man asked, holding out a clipboard with a pen. "Sign here please."

"Right." He signed the package and handed it back as he was given a plastic sleeve with a hanger poking out of the top and a shoebox. "Thanks."

"No problem, sir." The delivery man took back the pen and clipboard but did not leave, seeming to hover anxiously as if waiting for something.

"Oh right, tip." He chuckled, embarrassed, before digging around in his pockets for any change. He did find a pack of gum, but he figured that might not come off well. Instead he pulled a small bundle of bills from his pocket and handed it to the man. "Keep the change." Closing the door, he pulled off the sleeve as he saw it was his suit and shoes. The shoes, while not his beloved sneakers, were sharp and new, and even from here he could smell the fresh leather and admire the shine. The suit itself was a crisp grey, both waistcoat and jacket complementing the white shirt with its blue tie, which admittedly worked really well when held against Dante's dark complexion. He turned back around, walking to the living room area and holding the suit against him as he looked at Elizabeth. "What do you think?"

"Looks sharp," she nodded in approval. "And no horrid sneakers, which is a very nice touch. I told you Enzo knows what he's doing. I'm gonna give him a bonus this time, for sure. Why don't you go ahead and try it on? We've got about...an hour before we have to go? But that doesn't account for the travel time."

"Right, you should get ready as well."

The two went into separate rooms respectively and while getting changed, something popped into the pneumo tube which caught Dante's attention. Walking over, he reached in and grabbed a small box which he opened and smiled at. He left it to the side as he finished getting dressed, taking a bit to get a feel for the suit and shoes. Just as he was finishing up, he heard Elizabeth doing the same and met her as she walked out of the bathroom, a fresh layer of makeup on her face. This time, the dress she wore was of a satin-like fabric, shimmering where the chandelier light caught it and accenting her curves, standing out nicely against her porcelain skin. Two straps came from the back to cover her shoulders, and a split from just below her waist to her ankle. She wore black tights underneath it all, with black heels and black lipstick to top it all off. In her hair, she wore a silver flower hairpin that held back her bangs. A blue choker adorned her neck.

"You look stunning." Dante breathed out, taken aback by the very sudden change in appearance.

Elizabeth smirked, knowing the effect she had on him. "Why, thank you, kind sir." She mock-bowed before full-on grinning, inspecting Dante as well. "You look amazing, too. Enzo really went all out. I told you it was a good idea. How are the shoes?"

He shuffled slightly in place. "A bit tight, but they work."

"Good, good, I'm glad. Do you need anything before we head out? It's going to be a while before we come back home."

"Encore and adoring fans keep you busy, I'll bet."

"Like you wouldn't believe. But, one learns to embrace the change."

Dante shrugged, nodding a little to show he understood the sentiment. "That's fair enough. Tha aside, I'm ready to head out-but I did want to show you something. I think it's something that will really make that whole ensemble pop." And with that, he grabbed the small box and opened it to reveal the pendant as he presented it to her.

Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock, and she gasped in delight. "Oh, _there's _where it went. I'd been looking for that little devil all morning. Where did you find it?"

"Well, I've had it on me since the other day and decided to get it modified a bit."

"Modified…?" She asked hesitantly, now looking at the pendant with a fair degree of worry.

He turned the pendant around to show the new addition, and she sighed in relief as she picked it up and inspected it herself. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought you'd done something drastic. What exactly did you do, though?"

"I took it to a jeweler's and had them add a loop to the back so you can also wear it on a necklace. The pin is still there so you can wear it as a broach as well as a pendant."

"Wow, that's a real lollapalooza right there. All posh-like, must have cost quite a bit. Don't suppose I want to know where you got the money?"

"I kinda...sorta..._hacked_ those Circus of Value machines that we've seen around."

"I'll admit, that's better than what I was expecting. Well, anyways, thank you, I really appreciate it. Help me put it on?"

"Of course." And he did so, fastening the pendant to the choker and resolving to buy or find a necklace chain before the had to leave for good so that she could experience both the features. Once that was done, and Elizabeth was satisfied with how it looked, the two headed out again.

_**XxxxxX**_

Pharaoh's Fortune Casino took about twenty minutes to get to, so by the time they stepped through the doors Elizabeth could only steal a quick kiss from Dante before rushing off backstage to get ready for her performance, and leaving Dante to find a table near the front so he'd be able to actually see. After a few moments of getting settled and used to the view all around him, he startled as a man announced from somewhere unseen.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us this evening. We welcome you to the Pharaoh's Casino, and hope that your evening is a pleasant one, and we wish you all the best of luck. Tonight's entertainment schedule is as follows..._" the announcer continued with a short list of names and their associated acts, and then he mentioned Elizabeth and the crowd immediately burst into an appreciative applause. After that, he continued with his list, and then at the end tacked on a much shorter list of appetizers for the evening and special offers for members who paid a bit extra for the casino's services. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he finally announced, "_And now, finally, for the moment you've all been waiting for...our very own Songbird, Miss Elizabeth, here to serenade us with a special rendition of Dream a Little Dream! Give it up!_"

Elizabeth stepped forward from behind the curtain, smiling serenely and waving a little as she stepped up to the microphone at the end of the platform. She took a few deep breaths, not audible through the microphone, and began to sing.

"_Stars shining bright above you…_

_Night breezes seem to whisper I love you._

_Birds singing in the sycamore tree,_

_Dream a little dream of me._

_Say nighty-night and kiss me._

_Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me._

_While I'm alone and blue as can be,_

_Dream a little dream of me…_"

Her voice was unlike anything Dante had ever heard before. It was soft and beautiful, but had a faded right edge to it, no doubt brought about her not-smoking habit. As she sang, her body swayed and her hands moved with the music, enticing and nearly hypnotic in their gracefulness. She hit each note with a precision and sureness that Dante was sure he could replicate it with any gun. Everyone else seemed to be enchanted by her as well, as they seemed to cling to every note and every breath she took. When it was finally over, as expected, the crowd cheered and wooed, and begged for more. She was all too happy to oblige.

"_Times have changed,_

_And we've often rewound the clock,_

_Since the Puritans got a shock_

_When they landed on Plymouth Rock!_

_If today, any shock they should try to stand_

'_Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock,_

_Plymouth Rock would land on them!_

_In olden days, a glimpse of stocking _

_Was looked on as something shocking. _

_But now, God knows, _

_Anything goes. _

_Good authors too who once knew better words,_

_Now only use four letter words, writing prose!_

_Anything goes…_"

That song, too, got uproarious applause from its captive audience, ripping satisfied screams of adoration from women and men alike who once again demanded another song to sate their vicious appetite. And once more, for the final time tonight, she began to sing, and as the opening notes began to play, he recognized it as a softer version of Frank Sinatra's _Fly Me to the Moon._

"_Fly me to the moon_

_Let me play among the stars_

_Let me see what spring is like_

_On a, Jupiter and Mars_

_In other words, hold my hand_

_In other words, baby, kiss me_

_Fill my heart with song_

_And let me sing for ever more_

_You are all I long for_

_All I worship and adore_

_In other words, please be true_

_In other words, I love you…_"

The audience erupted in a show of applause and some shed tears at the beautiful and soft rendition. Still more people cheered and screamed for an encore, but Elizabeth stepped back as the clapping continued and bowed before retreating backstage. Dante took that as a cue to which he got up and made his way to the dressing room, finding his way blocked by admirers and a two bodyguards. Making his way through the fans, he managed to get up to the musclemen and flashed his psychic paper, after which they promptly let him in. He made his way to Elizabeth's dressing room, where he didn't even have to knock before Elizabeth was opening the door and ushering him inside.

"Figured you'd get past security somehow," she commented wryly, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Though you could have waited. I wouldn't have been long." She grinned to let him know she was at least half joking.

He grinned back. "Well, you know me and patience goes as well as cats and dogs. Otherwise you did marvelously out there."

"Maybe you should work on that, then. And thank you, that means a lot coming from you. I mean, I kinda figured with all the cheering and applause, but you know."

"Yeah." He made his way over to a nearby chair and sat down, browsing at all the gifts and flowers that were gifted to her. "Gotta admit, I'm surprised by the amount of admirers you have. Guess _You Belong to Me_ really touched some hearts."

"For sure. I know it touched mine. I always...always think of Booker when I sing that song. Brings some of that sadness to life."

Noticing her shift in tone, Dante got up and held her hands in his. "You miss him terribly, don't you?"

"Every day."

Dante nodded sympathetically, squeezing her hands gently. "Alright, here's an idea: once we get out of here, let's visit a Booker who still has his Anna and give them a little bit of help."

Elizabeth visibly flinched. "Oh, I-I don't think that's such a good idea, me seeing him after-so soon. I know he doesn't remember me and it's been an eternity between worlds, and I know technically I've seen him again since that, but he...well...I mean. I don't think I'm ready for that. You're sweet, Dante, really, but-"

"We're not going to meet him face to face, just give him a small bit of help. Think of it like being a guardian angel."

Elizabeth nodded, but she still seemed apprehensive. "If you say so."

"Though, now that you mention it…" Dante pondered aloud, an idea forming in his head. "Well, it's nothing, just a thought."

"What?"

"I was just reminded of something…" he struggled for something to say, knowing she'd push if he told her not to worry. "Just reminded of something from my past. Nothing bad, I promise," he lied, feeling bad for doing so.

Elizabeth nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Okay. Anyways, I do have some things to do around here before I wrap up for the night. Keep me company?"

"Of course."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Dante's eyes opened as he saw a tangle of black hair in front of him and felt a weight gripping onto his right arm and on his chest. It took him awhile to realize that it was Elizabeth, still asleep, holding onto him like a child embracing a teddy bear. Using his free arm, he managed to dig through his jacket that was hanging on the bedpost and pulled out a pocket watch. Said watch was modified to not only tell time, but notify him of the date, which showed 58/12/31. Today was the day where everything could go either well or straight into a bonfire.

Elizabeth mumbled something in her sleep, and turned towards Dante, though she still didn't stir. Dante decided to let her rest and instead tackle some problems that had occurred to him sometime last night. He didn't have Plasmids, but he did have Vigors, which were all drinkable back on Columbia. He already had a good roster and didn't feel like investing time and money into getting different versions of the same thing, but there was one problem: he wasn't sure if EVE would work to refill his Vigors. Assuming they would, considering that Plasmids and EVE were basically made from the same thing, Dante would need to find a way if EVE was somehow drinkable. He slipped out of bed and was just making his way to the bathroom when he heard Elizabeth call out his name.

"Where you goin'? Whatchu doin'..." she mumbled, still half-asleep. A hand shot out from underneath the covers and flailed around limply for him.

He didn't reply, but did grab her hand and hold it in reassurance. She drifted back to sleep as he grabbed a sheet of paper and pen, jotted a note and got ready for the day. Deciding to not stick out, he went with the previous night's outfit as he left the note on the bed, grabbed an apple and headed out.

_**XxxxX**_

First things first: supplies. He would need to see if EVE came in flasks akin to Salts since he knew that EVE mostly came in hypodermic needles. Simply the thought made him shudder slightly-while needles weren't the worst things out there, he'd rather not fill his arm up with holes. So he began asking around and checked certain shops and locations. No such luck in that department, however, since it was either not carried by most places or they only had the needles. It wasn't until he sat down on a stool at a diner to think that a man had sat right next to him and said, "Noticed you've been looking for some EVE."

Dante had seen and been through this song and dance before so he decided to play along. "Yeah, what's it to you?"

"I know where you can get some. It's simple, really-only problem is, it's in a restricted area Ryan sunk awhile ago. You'd need a bathysphere to get there, and there aren't any going *there*. You could hijack one, I suppose…"

"Don't need to go that far, but thanks for the info." He started to get up before the man grabbed him by the arm of his jacket.

"Info like that don't come cheap." The man flashed a gun holster under his jacket. "So I suggest we go somewhere quiet where you can pay up."

Dante just shook his head. "Whatever you say, slim." The two exited the diner and made their way to a back alley of sorts, hidden from view unless you looked at the right angle at the right time. The man pulled out his gun and pointed at Dante, who was just turning around, before he smacked the gun away and struck his opponent in the throat. While the assailant was trying to catch his breath, Dante had picked up the gun, gripped it by the barrel and whipped the man in the face. As he lay there unconscious, he kneeled down and rifled through his pockets, and to his surprise found some small box of ammo and an EVE vial on him.

Taking the holster off the man and putting it on, he said, "Thanks again," before walking out of the alley and deciding to run a small errand before heading back to the apartment.

_**XxxxX**_

Elizabeth woke up, yet again, to the wonderful smell of fresh cooking and drowsily pokes her head out from underneath her feathered duvet to try and determine what exactly he was cooking. In the end, she couldn't tell, so she made her way out of the large nest she'd made and made her way to the kitchen, where she found Dante hunched over the stove frying something in a pan.

"Morning," he said without looking up.

"Good morning yourself. What are you making, and where did you get the ingredients? I don't remember going shopping."

"I went out this morning, among other things. I left you a note just in case you woke up before I came back and panicked, but it looks like it wasn't needed. How did you sleep?"

"I slept pretty well, thanks for asking. Sorry I couldn't join you, but this is a pleasant surprise to wake up to, I'll admit. What are you making?

"Summer Tomato and Basil Quiche with a side of Petits Pains au Chocolat."

"Oh, sounds delightful. Is it almost done?"

"Just about, mind getting the plates and silverware?"

"Not at all." She did so, and by the time she was done so was Dante, and so she sat down while Dante dished out the food and they sat down to eat.

They sat in relative silence until Dante broke the ice with the question they had both been dreading. "Are we ready for this?"

"Honestly?" She sighed, shaking her head and spearing a piece of chocolate with her fork. "No. I'm not. I'm nowhere near ready to confront him, and yet we're really, actually doing this. Tonight. And not at all the way I planned."

Dante sighed as he slid his hands over to hers. "I'm going to be honest here: it's not going to be easy and you shouldn't expect everything to go smoothly. But," he gave her a reassuring smile, "we'll make it out in the end. Me and you. And when all is said and done, destination: anywhere but here."

Elizabeth didn't respond verbally, but her stance relaxed considerably and she nodded, a smile of her own on her face. She went back to her food, and she and Dante finished up quickly.

"Now that we've finished eating, tell me, what did you originally plan?"

"Weeeell…" she said uncomfortably, tapping her fork against the edge of her plate. "I was planning on using his connection to Sally to lure him to the toys department, where I knew she's lurking with her protector. I was going to somehow use the Big Daddy to kill him after I revealed his past."

"Simple and ruthless, but overall sloppy. We'll still use that first bit but we'll need to either distract or get rid of the Big Daddy for my part of the plan. See, I was thinking—he still does have some of...him...somewhere deep down. He can be redeemed, despite all the horrors he's committed. We'll need his help for some troubles ahead and...well what do you exactly know of that district?"

"Nothing except the layout."

Dante sighed. "So you also took into account the Splicers?"

"They're not typically included in the layout, which is what I said I knew, but yes, I am also aware that there are some new types of Splicers down there."

While he didn't want to outright say it, he wanted to warn her about the _other_ problem she'd have ran into if she went solo, but couldn't bring himself to say it. "Alright, so let's recap: we go to his office, bait him with Sally and then go find her in the department store. But I ask this: how? There are no bathyspheres coming to or from that section. So pray tell, how do we get a bathysphere down there?"

"I was planning on using my connection to Cohen and his connection to Ryan to get us one."

"If you expected him to give it to you for without some kind of admittance fee, then I'm afraid you don't know your employer all that well."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. "I'm apparently far smarter than you think I am, then. Honestly, you've known me for how long? Give me some credit. Do you honestly think I hadn't thought of that? I've been thinking about this for months, ever since I got here. Trust me, I know Cohen and too many men like him far better than you think I do. However…I didn't really have anything to bribe him with. He already has my voice and my prescience at his parties. Have you got anything?"

Dante motioned to himself. "Yours truly, obviously. Look, I've dealt with men like Cohen in my many years and I know what makes him tick. He loves to be admired and called a genius but at the same time doesn't want to be sucked up to. I can possibly sway him with a song and solve...some problem of his. Do you know anything that's been bothering him to the point he's throwing furniture around?"

Elizabeth nodded at his self-sacrifice, tapping her finger against her chin for a few moments before snapping her fingers. "Oh! Yes! There's this new song of his, I don't remember what it's called, but the ending has been driving him nuts. To boot, the only actually good piano guy we have, Kyle Fitzpatrick, isn't playing it good enough for him. I think he's actually developing carpal tunnel or something from how much he's being forced to play it. He actually, no lie, asked me to help him break his fingers two nights ago so he could have an excuse to get out of it. I swear, poor guy's gonna get himself killed one day…"

"Yes, quite." He cleared his throat, pointedly forgetting to mention Fitzpatrick's untimely and quite messy demise was just a few year's time. "This could work, this could work. Do you happen have a copy of this song?"

"I do. He wanted me to come up with some words for it to sing to, but obviously that's never going to happen. It's in the piano bench."

Dante went over and opened the bench, looking over the music sheets before finding the right one. Placing it on the stand, he flexed his fingers and struck a few notes until finally playing the written song. Sometimes he fumbled and hit the wrong note, or went too slow, but he played it almost perfectly. Elizabeth clapped slowly.

"That was pretty good," she admitted, "Dare I say even almost perfect. All it needs is an ending. I suppose you'll write one and wow him with your skill?"

"Better yet, I'll improve it. Still, an 'almost perfect' doesn't fly with Cohen. If he had his way, Lord knows what he'd do. Going to try it again, see if I can perfect it before tonight. Maybe add some more arpeggios and black keys to the mix."

Once again he played, his hands flying almost effortlessly over the keys, adding in a variety of just that, giving the piece that much needed oomph that it was lacking. He still made some mistakes, but fewer now, and he added his corrections and improvements to the sheet music in red marker. He turned to face Elizabeth, but found her gone.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yeah?" She was in the kitchen. "What do you need? It sounded far better than what Cohen was trying to do. Feel free to write on the sheet, it's a copy anyways."

"What are you up to?" he asked, as he prepared to play again and mentally added in places where just an octave lower would improve a particular section tenfold.

"I'm going over my initial plan and modifying it to account for you and my sudden change of heart. I'm also making sure that everything is in place and we have all our supplies before we head out."

"What do you plan on bringing exactly?"

"Well, weapons, EVE, and my wits about me. Also, you, but that's obvious. I also need a blueprint scheme for the department store, which I have here, and...ah, a cigarette. For...added...what's the word?"

"Effect?"

"Yeah, that's it. Sort of an added aesthetic or something. I don't think I'll actually smoke it, tough, not unless I have to."

"Whatever it takes to convince him the . Although, what weapon are bringing along? I managed to procure a weapon, mind you not easily, but what are you bringing?"

"Oh, good, I was wondering if we were gonna have to stop your creative enough to get you something. I'll be taking a two-shooter."

"Better get close to be able to use that, but you're good at stealth so you'll manage." He drew his attention back towards the piano. "Now, I think I may get it this time."

It wasn't until the third time he was certain that not only had he gotten it right, but that he'd also mastered all the _corrections _he'd made, he tucked the music away neatly in his jacket pocket as the two made their plans for the day.

_**XxxxX**_

"Alright, Fitzpatrick is the last person I've got to say goodbye to. He won't be at the event we're dragging Comstock to and I won't get another chance to see him after tonight. His apartment is just up ahead-I won't be long. Promise." Elizabeth said, pecking Dante's lips in reassurance.

The two had visited about several other people from the time he'd finished fixing up Cohen's Masterpiece as well as had lunch in between visits. Enzo, Sofia and (and by extension, Eleanor and Grace Holloway as well), and finally, Fitzpatrick. These goodbyes were both teary eyed and confusing for said people, as Elizabeth refused to reveal anything about her plan or even tell a half-lie to placate them. The one exception was Sofia, but even she was not told much. In the meantime, Dante was waiting outside of where her friend lived reciting the notes in his head while making the appropriate key motions. He was just about to finish the third bar when he noticed something-or rather, two someones-peculiar out of the corner of his eye. Pushing himself off the wall, he turned to face the couple fully-for indeed it was the familiar red headed duo, Robert wearing the two sided chalkboard while Rosalind held a tray with a coin on it.

"Heads?"

"Or tails?"

Dante took the coin and flipped it, smirking as it somehow landed on its edge.

Rosalind sighed. "Well, which section do we mark that in?"

"I say let's just call it a tie. Or perhaps this calls for a do-over?"

"Call it a compromise. Either way, it's good to see you two, I needed to talk to you anyway." Dante interjected their banter quickly, knowing that if he allowed it to continue then he'd never hear the end of it, or get a word in edgewise. "I need your guys' help with something."

"Yes, we know. Why else would we be here?"

"True enough, but you probably don't know exactly what it is I'm planning, but the fact of the matter still remains, I need your help with said plan." And he detailed his plan, thoroughly, quickly, and quietly to them, taking extra time to detail their parts, after which the two nodded.

"I can see how something like that would require outside help," Rosalind amended. "Fear not, Mr. Price, we will help you, and rest assured that we will do everything in our infinite power to make sure this plan comes to fruition."

"Thank you," Dante sighed. "I really appreciate it. Just make sure you get there in time otherwise...well, just don't let anything bad happen, whatever happens."

"Of course. One good turn deserves another, after all."

Just before Dante could reply, the lights in the hall flickered, casting the two in repeated shadow, while at the same time the door to Fitzpatrick's apartment reopened. Elizabeth was heard saying her final goodbyes before turning around to face her boyfriend. There were tear tracks on her face and she sniffed as she nodded at Fitzpatrick before assuring him she was fine, and then finally he closed the door and they were all alone.

Dante took a handkerchief out of his front pocket before handing it to her. "I take it it went well?"

"As well as a final goodbye to one of the dearest friends you've known can go." She finished wiping her tears before handing the cloth back to him. "But, it's done now, and I'm ready. Do we have everything ready to head out?"

"Pretty much."

"Good. Let's get this over with."

_**XxxxX**_

A man was sleeping at his desk, his dreams being vivid and muddled of something he might've experienced but he couldn't tell. HIs restless sleep was disrupted by a knock on his door, causing him to stir awake, though coughing in the process due to his previous sleeping position.

"We're closed," the man said in response to the rude interruption. He sounded groggy and yet disgruntled as he raises his head and blinks the sleep out. He sees the silhouette of a woman sashaying her hips as she walks towards him, the outline of a cigarette dangling from her lips. A man followed closely behind, though he couldn't make out anything about him.

"You don't look the sort who can afford to turn down legitimate work," the woman spoke, her voice boasting of a soft yet husky quality that hinted at many a cigarette smoked.

"No kidding," the man added quietly, more to himself than anyone else, looking around the dilapidated office with its peeling wallpaper and stench of cigars.

The man groaned and finally lifted his head for good, still squinting at the couple. The man had wandered over to the windows and was currently trying to open the blinds. "What do you want?" the first man snapped.

"How about we start with a light?" the woman also made her way to the window and stood next to her partner, her face just barely illuminated by the light coming in from the window. He could now make out definitive features-small nose, full lips, wide set eyes. But nothing to help truly identify the intruder. Not until he snapped his fingers and an infant flame erupted from the tips that he was able to actually get a full view of her-and her partner. She gratefully accepted the light, and blew a puff of smoke away from the two.

Blue eyes scanned him curiously and with an odd sort of disdain that the man thought was perhaps misplaced, or maybe she just didn't like his type. Red lips, full and pursed, almost scowling, closed around the tip of her cigarette once again as her small nose wrinkled at something-the smell perhaps, or maybe it was just him. She did not seem to like him, a sentiment her partner cleary shared, though he was not so open about it.

The partner in question leaned back against the window, wrinkling his own nose in an imitation of the woman, though not in disgust towards him-the combined smell of cigars and cigarettes was clearly not to his liking. His chocolate eyes scanned not the man in front of him but the room itself, picking up on little details that not many other people would think to look for. He ran a hand through his black curly hair, sighing a little as the two other people in the room just continued to stare at each other, each one sizing up the other. Finally, he decided to break the tension.

"You can call me Dante," he introduced himself, throwing a hand out. It was not taken. "She's Elizabeth. You're Mr. DeWitt. Now, we've gotten the introductions out of the way-shall we?" He pushed away from the window and dug through his jacket pockets until he found what he was looking for. "We're here to employ your services-there's a girl who needs to be found. Maybe you've seen her?" He flipped the photo around to show the other man-the photo showed a blonde-haired girl of no more than six, clutching a doll to her chest and grinning at the camera.

Dewitt was visibly taken aback by the photo. He started, then quickly regained his composure and took the photo out of Dante's hand. "This girl...this girl's dead."

Elizabeth raised a finely sculpted eyebrow. "You know her?" she asked, smoke curling out of her mouth in tendrils as she spoke like a dragon of mythological fame.

Dewitt scoffed, handing the photo back to Dante and stepping back. "You'll see dozens of her type down by the docks or the slums in Apollo Square. Orphans. With Fontaine's charities shut, no place for 'em."

"But her you know."

"As I said, girl's dead." His voice sounded strangely tight, and Dante suddenly shifted as if he felt somewhat uncomfortable. Elizabeth, apparently, had no such qualms, as she turned on one pointy heel and almost sashayed to the front door again.

"Lost," was her only utterance.

Dewitt sighed, almost growling, suddenly very irritated and not in the mood. "Look...I don't know where you two get-"

But Elizabeth cut him off suddenly and sharply, as if he'd just personally offended her. "Lost isn't dead. Name your rate, I will pay you for this work. But you'd do this one gratis, wouldn't you?"

"I don't follow…"

"Something tells me you will, though." And with that ominous parting line, she opened the door and disappeared back into Rapture, her partner following suite. Dewitt was left no choice but to follow, after a few muttered curses and a quick smoke. Maybe some liquid courage wouldn't hurt either?

_**XxxxX**_

Ten minutes later found him at her side, smelling of fresh cigar smoke and a hint of booze, though she suspected that that was just his natural perfume. She resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose even slightly, and eyed Dante out of the corner of her eye as if to say, "can you believe this guy?" He nodded back slightly, and Elizabeth then turned to Comstock himself.

"Seems my instincts were correct."

"Where's Sally?" he said in way of a greeting. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at his one track mind.

"We don't know. That's why we employed you. We have an idea of where to start looking. All you need to do is follow us."

They turned away from the titanic window-or was it a wall down here? Or both?-and descended the grand staircase leading from the small business section to the rest of Market Street. As they made their way through the hustle and bustle of high society, Booker asked, "What's this girl to you?"

"What she means to us is our business," Dante answered, not wanting him to pry further till the time was right. "Though we have an idea on where to start looking. Something told us a man with your particular talents could be useful."

"Wonder who that could have been."

No more words were exchanged between the three for a while after that, only silent judging thoughts and distrustful glances. It wasn't until they came across the Little Wonders Educational Facility, a group of young girls standing outside the entrance, that words were finally spoken. Not at first-at first, Elizabeth only stared in thinly veiled horror as the children, standing in front of their teacher, recited everything she was telling them as she flipped her sign back and forward.

"What happened to these children?" Dante asked for some reason, despite fully well knowing the answer. He didn't really know why he'd asked, but he suspected that it was probably to break the uncomfortable silence that had befallen the trio.

Dewitt scoffed, moving to move past the horde of children gathered around. They paid him little to no heed, their beady little eyes merely watching in bored disinterest as he rudely shoved aside one girl to get through. She didn't even flinch, and simply moved back into her previous place when all of them went through. "Where've you been, a cabin in Arcadia? Little Sisters. ADAM factories."

"It's grotesque," Elizabeth commented, disgust evident in her tone.

"Maybe so, but it's also necessary," finished Dewitt, and that was the end of that.

They continued onward, passing the sight of a Big Daddy fixing a pipe outside. It transfixed Elizabeth for but the briefest of moments before she was moving along, Dewitt tagging behind her, but Dante spared a few more precious moments to marvel at the sight and think of what was in store for Rapture's future. Eventually, their trekking and enduring of the occasional snide comment sent their way by the elite paid off, leading them towards an elevator which Elizabeth swore would take them to higher Market Street.

"Funny."

"What?" Dante asked.

Dewitt shrugged. "Just you not knowing about the Little Sisters. How long have you been in Rapture?"

"Let's just say I don't get out that often."

A disbelieving look. "You've got eyes and ears, don't you?"

Elizabeth decided to interject. "If we wanted to share our life's story, Mr. DeWitt, we would write our memoirs. If I learned anything about Rapture, I thought it was a place people understood to mind their own business." A withering glare sent his way was enough to shut him up of the topic.

"Where we headed?" he asked instead.

"The man we need to see is in the Garden of the Muses."

"How do you know-"

It was Dante who interrupted this time. "Our sources are our own, Mr. DeWitt. If you have better information as to the whereabouts of your girl, I suggest you avail yourself of it."

The elevator dinged, signaling its arrival, and the trio boarded, Elizabeth rushing forward to avoid the other two and giving them cross looks when they didn't immediately follow suit.

"Where are you taking me?" Dewitt finally had the courage to ask, once the button had been pressed and they were heading up.

Elizabeth was quick to change the subject, finally rounding on Dewitt and asking, "When's the last time you saw Sally?"

"...What?"

"She was taken from you wasn't she?" Dante affirmed, backing up Elizabeth and fixing Dewitt with an intense stare.

Dewitt stares at the two of them in astonishment. "How do you know this?"

Elizabeth doesn't answer that question, instead relying more information with that some cold and factual tone. "She was taken. Down at Sir Prize. You were playing the tables and-"

"She disappeared," Dewitt finished, sounding out of it.

"And?"

"Cop friend of mine, Sullivan. Says they found her floating in the docks." If Dante didn't know any better, he'd say that there was almost a choked-up quality to the sound of Dewitt's voice. He looked at Elizabeth experimentally, who started straight ahead, unmoved.

"You see the body?"

A defeated sigh. "Look-"

"Did you see...The body." At his head shake of 'no,' she sighed, turning from him to look out the window and take another drag from her cigarette, and it was a moment before she spoke again. "This world values children, not childhood. There's a profit to be made and men who make it. I'm taking you to one of them."

DeWitt suddenly stepped back a few paces, grunted slightly, and winced as if in pain, before shaking his head and rapidly blinking while putting a hand to his head.

"You doing alright Mr. DeWitt?" Dante asked, suspecting that something Elizabeth said triggered something in the older man's head.

The PI just shook held up a hand and shook his head. " I'm fine...just get these spells sometimes. It'll pass."

Elizabeth gave him a doubtful look, and Dante shook his head. The lift opened not moments later, revealing the fine dining establishment of Le Temps Perdu, and a smartly dressed waiter holding a tray of drinks outstretched towards them.

"Refreshment, sirs? Madam?"

"We're fine, thanks," Dewitt answered for all of them. Elizabeth looked less than pleased, and for once Dante didn't think it was because of the man himself. She made no effort to call him back, though, and so the three of them moved out of the lift as soon as the waiter disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

They continued through the lounge, weaving their way through countless fashionable ladies in pearls and backless dresses and smartly dressed men with watches and ties, sipping alcoholic concoctions of one kind or another. Elizabeth looked longingly at a particular woman sipping a rather large martini, idly stirring her olive stick as she talked to another woman. When she caught Dante looking, she shrugged and whispered, "Being around him is not doing anything for my resolve or mental health. When all this is said and done, you're buying me so many drinks."

"Not all at once," he joked, smiling despite the situation. "Otherwise you'll be puking your guts out."

"No, not all at once," she agreed as she moved to catch up with Dewitt, who had already exited the bar. "But definitely all in the same night. I can share, you know. We'll both get drunk. Unless your physiology prohibits that or something."

Dante said nothing as he just looked around innocently, a slight smile on his face. Elizabeth took that as an affirmative and snorted a brief laugh before catching sight of Dewitt and resuming her intended role for the evening. She sent a small smile Dante's way though before she did.

They exited the lounge and as soon as Dewitt saw them, he fell in line behind them as they led him to the front of Cohen's club. They stopped just short of actually approaching the entrance, and Dewitt nearly ran into Elizabeth.

Elizabeth scowled, turning to him. "Mr. DeWitt. I would ask that you refrain from doing that. We'll find my source inside of this club."

"Cohen? What does that lunatic have to do with Sally?" DeWitt asked with slight disgust in his voice. Cleary he had no kind of respect or admiration for the obscure artist, something with which Elizabeth secretly agreed with.

They walked up to the door to see a pair of signs posted on either side of it.

""Private party. No entry without invitation."" Elizabeth read aloud, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. Of course, she had already known about this particular bit, but she had hoped that Cohen would have sent her a mask or at least just invited her himself, but she had heard nothing. They were going to have to wing it.

DeWitt scoffed at that. "We'll see about that." He knocked on the door as a doorman peered through the grille.

"Which business do you represent, sir?"

"Uh, business?"

"Yes, which business?"

"DeWitt Investigations."

"Mr. Cohen does not truck with private detectives. Masks of invitation went to artists and craftsmen alone."

"I'm with the Artist's Struggle. We're expected." Elizabeth chipped in, trying to get this over with but to no avail. The man shook his head, a smug smirk on his face.

"No mask, no entry." The doorman closed the slit and left.

Dewitt scoffed. "Stuffed shirt."

"These invitation masks he spoke of - they must have gone out to local artisans." Dante pointed out, casting a look at his partner, who nodded.

"Well...I guess we'll have to persuade someone to loan us one."

Elizabeth looked at one of the nearby signs and read aloud, "'The business of Rapture is business…' It says it's sponsored by the Artist's Struggle, the Golden Rule and Rapture Records."

"I guess those stores would be as good a place to start as any."

They left the vicinity of Cohen's club and headed to the first location that they could think of (which Dante suggested should be Rapture Records, on the other side of Market Street). On the way there, the PI tried to make conversation.

"What brung ya to Rapture?"

"A man," Elizabeth answered curtly.

Dewitt looked shocked. "Really? You don't strike me as the romantic type."

Elizabeth stared resolutely ahead, taking short but meaningful strides ahead to keep ahead of Dewitt and Dante. "Wasn't that kind of man."

Dewitt chanced a meaningful look between her and Dante, making sure they both caught it. "Figures, but if not that, then what?"

"There's a debt that needs repaying."

DeWitt scoffed, staring in disbelief. "Nah. I've known my share of shylocks. You're no shylock."

"Wasn't that kind of debt."

"Aren't you forthcoming. Well, then, what about you?" He turned to Dante. "How'd you end up down here?"

"Same as her; though not for the reasons you'd think of."

Deciding not to pry any further, DeWitt and the other two walked in silence until they arrived outside of Rapture Records. Elizabeth stopped in her tracks just as the other two approached the door.

"Invitations to Cohen's shows are highly coveted. Nobody's going to just hand us one."

Dewitt looked thoughtful. "You think you can figure out a way to distract the store owner while we take a look around?"

"You and Dante just find the mask. Leave the distractions to me."

The trio entered, the two walking up to the counter while Elizabeth made her way over to a displayed phonograph.

"'Scuse us." Dante called out, gaining the attention of the shopkeep. "The lady has some questions for you."

The shopkeep nodded, "Yes, of course…" and he walked over to where Elizabeth was admiring the phonograph record. They began a small conversation in which they discussed the particular piece, and while Elizabeth turned on the charm, Dante searched behind the counter as Booker kept an eye on both her and the shopkeep. It didn't take him long to find a specialty case, which he opened only to find that it was empty. He muttered a small curse before heading back into the store, showing his empty hands as a sign that he had found nothing. Dewitt nodded as Elizabeth turned on the charm to the max, making her excuses to the enraptured shopkeep, and the trio exited the shop. As soon as they were out, Elizabeth turned to them.

"Any luck?

Dante shook his head. "Nothin'. Let's find another shop. How about Golden Rule?" He paused for a minute before slapping his forehead. "Wait, I can't go in there with you two."

"What? Why not?"

"The shopkeep would recognize me."

"Shoot, you're right. Hmn, okay...we can handle this ourselves, I suppose. Or do you want to head to the Artist's Struggle and try your luck there while we're busy here?"

"I'll wait outside to make sure no one notices you two just in case things go south."

Dante stood outside while the other two proceeded inside Golden Rule jewelers. Elizabeth walked in first, heading towards an ornate ring while Dewitt walked up to the shopkeep.

"Welcome," the shopkeep said pleasantly, eyeing Elizabeth as she tapped on the glass casing.

"You see that dish I walked in with? Well, you give her the star treatment, pal, and I'll make it worth your while."

The shopkeep looked apprehensive, but he nodded. "Of course! Right away." And he hurried off to go entertain Elizabeth as Dewitt slipped behind the counter and started to rifle through the shopkeeper's belongings.

"I'm interested in this piece," she commented, still fixated on the ring.

"Ah, excellent. You've an eye, haven't you, miss? It's a natural sapphire and diamond, 18-carat gold ring, fully hallmarked for Paris, 1887."

"That's a lot of fine talk about a stolen ring," she scoffed disdainfully.

"I beg your pardon?" the man stuttered, surprised.

"Right out of her coffin at Twilight Fields. Did you think we wouldn't notice?"

The shopkeep tried desperately to regain his composure while at the same time trying to calm the delusional woman in front of him. "I can assure you that-"

"The assurances of a graverobber of are no interest to me! If you hand the ring back, the matter will remain between you and me."

The shopkeep had finally had enough. He abandoned his pleasant facade and adopted a snarl and a Brooklyn accent. "You come into my shop and talk this trash? I don't think so. Hit the bricks, you tramp, or I'll see to it they hit you," he spat viciously, pointing at the door. He grabbed Elizabeth and tried to drag her away.

Elizabeth began to panic, but she kept her cool. "Get your hands off of me!" she cried, throwing a punch to the face before aiming a kick in between his legs. The man yowled, dropping to his knees and groaning a "you little,-" before dropping down, passed out.

Dewitt, who had become distracted and watched the whole thing, hummed in approval. Elizabeth heard the sound and turned to him, raising a brow.

"Might be best if we were gone when he wakes up. Did you look for the mask?"

"Didn't see one."

"There's no other way to get us into Cohen's. It's got to be back there."

DeWit entered the back room, looking around before finding a case sitting in an open safe but...it was empty. There were a few assorted jeweled hanging around the place, and though he was tempted to take hem and pawn them off, he didn't. He simply sighed and returned to the main area.

"Nothin'. Well, only one place left."

He rejoined Elizabeth, reported his findings, and together they left the store. Dante greeted them as they exited.

"Nothing?"

"No. Got one place left, though."

"And if that proves to be fruitless?" Elizabeth asked, rejoining Dante at his side.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Making their way to The Artist's Struggle, Dante lagged a bit behind so that he could talk to Elizabeth alone. "By the way, I managed to catch a bit of your "performances" back there."

"Oh? And...did you like what you saw?"

A sly smile crossed his face as he whispered something into Elizabeth's ear, causing her to blush and elbow Dante in the side. "Excuse you, we're in public _and _on a mission. He could overhear."

"Can't help it if you turn the charm up to eleven and then some."

They entered the Artist's Struggle, which happened to be a gallery, preparing to dupe the owner of this establishment as well as find the mask. This time DeWitt walked up to the clerk while Elizabeth went to look at a picture with Dante at the ready to snoop behind the counter.

"Hey, pal," The PI called out, gaining the shopkeeper's attention. "You wanna help out the little lady?"

"Yes, of course…"

He went over to where Elizabeth was inspecting the large piece of art, leaving the counter unattended for Dante and DeWitt to slip past. As they left, they could hear the shopkeep explaining the piece she had chosen, his muffled voice oozing pretentiousness.

"_Interesting, isn't it? An original Sander Cohen...he calls it Miasma..._"

"_I'm sorry, but I know precious little about art,_" came the equal muffled response.

While she was flattering the clerk's ego, the two searched the back room. They searched for several minutes, coming up empty, even as they searched every nook and cranny. Finally, as they were about to give up, Dewitt spotted something out of the corner of his eye. He quickly crossed to it and flipped open the box, revealing the mask.

"There you are, you little son-of-a-bitch," he muttered, relieved.

He grabbed the mask, quietly signaled to Dante that he found it, and the two made their subtle exit out of the back room, Dante giving Elizabeth a thumbs up as they stepped out from behind the counter signaling for her to wrap up the act.

"You've given me so much to think about...I feel a trifle swoony... Would you mind if I returned tomorrow for further education?"

"I shall be here at your service. Until tomorrow."

"Did you get it?" Elizabeth asked, and Dewitt nodded.

"Third time's the charm," he quipped, trying to lighten the mood. He tucked the box under his jacket, then turned serious as they left the establishment and headed back to Cohen's. "Fine piece of work back there with those shopkeeps. You've got a bit of the grifter in you."

"For that you can thank my father."

"Oh, yeah?"

"He was a man comfortable in a variety of roles."

"So, what kind of field you in?"

"Field?"

"Yeah, you know, occupation? Can't imagine what kind of employment would lead you to tag along on a job like this."

Elizabeth mused for a moment before responding with, "I suppose you could say I work in debt collection."

DeWitt turned to Dante who knew he was essentially being asked the same question. "I travel, a lot, and help when I can."

They finally approached Cohen's club, and as Dante and Elizabeth headed up the couple of steps to the door, Dewitt hung back to put the mask on.

"This better work, or we'll certainly look the fools," Elizabeth mentioned, noticing him.

"Trust me," Dante assured her while DeWitt knocked on the door again.

The slit opened once again revealing the doorman. "Ah! Very well. Mr. Cohen awaits your participation at his performance."

The door swung open as they were let inside the club, in which the first room was a blinding white. After regaining their eyesight, they followed the doorman to the end of the room where there was a hallway of utter blackness in sight.

"So what is this Cohen to you? Some sort of underworld figure?" Elizabeth asked, slightly curious on the PI's take on the man.

"Worse. He's an artist."

"An artist who kidnaps children…"

"Cohen's muse is a bit more diverse. I've seen his type. Gets an idea in his head, end of conversation, don't matter who gets hurt."

Elizabeth remembered Dante's thoughts on her employer from not that long ago, seeing as he didn't respond to DeWitt's thoughts. Eccentric was an understatement; obsessed was more of the definition of Sander Cohen. They continued into the pitch black hallway before neon looking like the mask the PI put on appeared in front of them leading to the actual club in back. The guests were all fraternizing while "Waltz of the Flowers" was playing, two dancing silhouettes reflected on the wall as well as two sculpted heads that had projections of Cohen's face. There were also live bunnies hopping around, which while odd, fit the theming. The trio walked down the spiral staircase before looking down to see two people dancing while wearing a mask of a flower and sun, as well as cords strapped to them, all the while the eccentric artist himself was painting and shouting instructions to the duo.

"_Dance, dance, move! Move, move! That's right, that's right... Be the conduit! Open yourselves to the music! To the spirit of the eternal!_" the voice of the deranged maniac himself spoke out from somewhere unseen. He aggressively coached the two dancers, who were trying their best but... "No... Why do you fail in this fashion?! To embarrass me in front of my muse? My muse shall not be mocked! Finnegan! The stick!"

"Please!"

"Sander, for god's sake!"

But the pleads fell on deaf ears as the cords connected to the dancers, electrocuting them. This made Dante feel slightly more worried but hopefully the man's completed masterpiece and song he'd thought of will help them the fate of the dancers.

"My muse shall not be mocked! Get them out of here. There shall be no failure on my canvas!" The dead dancers are hoisted upwards and out of sight as the trio made their way towards Cohen. "There's no room in Rapture anymore for the artist." He wailed, covering his face with his arm.

Cautiously, they approached the crestfallen painter with Dante taking point. Just as he got within a few feet of him, the artist's head snapped up as grabbed the man's shoulder.

"Who are you?!" He demanded.

"Name's Price."

"Is that right?" Sander questioned, looking over the younger man. "My...this one's a real biscuit. Isn't he a biscuit, ladies?" He asked, as several female voices could be heard among the guests, which in turn caused Elizabeth to slightly frown. She stood at Cohen's side, ready to show the man the picture of Sally.

"We need to ask you a few questions." DeWitt chipped in, which the artist took notice in.

"Questions! Yes! Yes! It is the work of man to ask. It is the work of the artist...to answer."

"Picasso, if I'm not mistaken." Dante pointed out the paraphrase.

"Yes! Do you know what that means?"

"People ask questions and get their own answers, all the while an artist gives the naked truth to the question."

"Yes, yes! Exactly!" He turned to Elizabeth. "My, my where did you find this one, little songbird? He knows so much for a man of his age."

"He's a close friend of mine. But to the point, you've-"

"Been having trouble, haven't you?" Dante cut in, not wanting her to say anything about Sally just yet, but wanting Cohen's full attention.

"Hmm?"

"Your masterpiece. Just the other day, Elizabeth was telling me about how your Scherzo No. 7 was incomplete, unfinished and that no one has been able to perform it flawlessly."

"Alas, that is true."

"Well," he dug through his jacket pocket before pulling out the music sheet. "Here you are."

Sander eyed Dante as he took the music sheet and began looking at it. Muttering and mumbling a bit before looking up from the completed masterpiece. "Play it." He said softly, barely over a whisper as he stared intently at Dante.

"Say that again?"

"Play it for me!" he cried, and the sudden volume in his voice had Dante reeling back a bit. "Better yet," Cohen gestured towards the whole room, who was waiting eagerly to find out the cause for Cohen's outburst. "Play it for _them_."

"Right. About that, I'm going to need a piano…."

"Say no more. Finnegan! Fetch the piano!"

Less than a few minutes later, a grand piano was pushed near the pad in the center of the room.

"Now, my little dove," Sander placed the music on the stand before gesturing to the piano. "Play."

Dante sat down, rolled up his sleeves and flexed his fingers before beginning to play. For the next three and a half minutes, the guests, Elizabeth, DeWitt and yes, even Sander Cohen himself were in complete nirvana. The tempo, timing and every keystroke was on point, precise and overall perfect. It wasn't till after Dante hit the last keys that anyone reacted, silence at first, but then the room was filled with thunderous applause. All that he did was bow his head slightly in all general directions, but did catch a glimpse of Elizabeth and DeWitt's reactions. Elizabeth, who had heard him practicing in the apartment, simply nodded and smiled as she clapped with everyone else: Dewitt, on the other hand, looked completely stunned and did not bother to hide his astonishment. Dante's attention was redirected as Cohen grabbed him by his shoulders and kissed him on both cheeks.

"You, my boy, are a diamond in the ruff! You've perfected it, note for note, beat for beat! Oh, my songbird certainly picked quite the winner!" Sander praised, embracing Dante.

"You're most welcome Mr. Cohen, but my compatriots and I do have a question for you. Although before that, I was thinking an...encore of sorts."

"An encore? My dear dove, what else is there you could play that could top my masterpiece?"

"Not top per say, my good sir, but is unique. So unique that not even the censors from the surface could handle it."

This caught Sander's interest tenfold. "Play away then, and then afterwards, your question shall be answered."

Dante gave him a sincere smile as he flexed his arms and prepared to play again, causing the clapping to die down into silence. He started with a note before starting to sing:

_It's a god-awful small affair_

_To the girl with the mousy hair_

_But her mummy is yelling, "No!"_

_And her daddy has told her to go_

_But her friend is nowhere to be seen_

_Now she walks through her sunken dream_

_To the seat with the clearest view_

_And she's hooked to the silver screen_

_But the film is a saddening bore_

_For she's lived it ten times or more_

_She could spit in the eyes of fools_

_As they ask her to focus on_

_Sailors fighting in the dance hall_

_Oh man! Look at those cavemen go_

_It's the freakiest show_

_Take a look at the lawman_

_Beating up the wrong guy_

_Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know_

_He's in the best selling show_

_Is there life on Mars?_

_It's on America's tortured brow_

_That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow_

_Now the workers have struck for fame_

_Because Lennon's on sale again_

_See the mice in their million hordes_

_From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads_

_Rule Britannia is out of bounds_

_To my mother, my dog, and clowns_

_But the film is a saddening bore_

_Because I wrote it ten times or more_

_It's about to be writ again_

_As I ask you to focus on_

_Sailors fighting in the dance hall_

_Oh man! Look at those cavemen go_

_It's the freakiest show_

_Take a look at the lawman_

_Beating up the wrong guy_

_Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know_

_He's in the best selling show_

_Is there life on Mars?_

He ended his song, and sat back, finally relaxing his fingers and resting his hands atop his lap. The audience, once again, responded with thunderous applause and whistling. There were a few appreciative shouts of encouragement from several people, but Dante couldn't make anything out. Finally, the applause died down as the began to mingle again and talk. Rolling his sleeves down, he walked over to Elizabeth and DeWitt, Cohen already chatting with the duo as the former was showing him the picture of Sally.

"We artists see more than most. You're more than you claim to be, little songbird, are you not? Watch this one, DeWitt. She'll take you where you don't want to go." He turned to Dante as he joined in the group conversation. "Same goes for you, Price. You seem to be more than you claim, but be wary of my songbird."

"Mr. Cohen, no disrespect, but I've been to places nobody ever should go."

Cohen tilted his head at this revelation, but waved his hand to the side. "But yes, I know the child in that photograph is important to you. So many children flit-flit-flit away... I know where the girl is. And I will send you to her. As an expression of my gratitude."

"It would be greatly appreciated Mr. Cohen," Elizabeth mentioned hopefully.

"Of course, of course, my little songbird. Finnegan here will guide you to my private bathysphere. It should take you where you need to go. Your genius, Mr. Price, is absolutely appreciated. If you should chance upon me again, I would be honored to work with you again."

Dante forced a smile at the delusioned man, grasped his hand in a firm handshake and regoing Elizabeth and Dewitt. Elizabeth smiles warmly at his success while DeWitt nodded in approval.

"Time will tell Mr. Cohen. Sadly we must bid you goodbye, adieu, auf wiedersehen, gesundheit and farewell."

"Of course, of course. I wish you the best of luck on your travels, little dove. As for you, my dear Songbird. This way." And he pawned her off to Finnegan, a buff, gruff looking back with a scraggly beard and thick curly hair. He merely grunted in response to Dante's pleasantries, and the trio followed him to Cohen's private bathysphere, where, after they boarded, he punched in the coordinates for them before stepping off. He stared at them until Dewitt pulled the lever and they left the station.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"_Pain and beauty. To an artist, they are parent and child._"

Dewitt started, moving from his position at the window and grabbing the radio with a suspicious glare. "Cohen?" he cautioned.

"_I'm sending you to find your...young one. No need to thank me. I'm not so sure you'll like what you find_."

The other side of the glass reveals a building far below where the rest of the city is. They depicted tales and figures from sea mythology-mermaids, water nymphs, sea gods, and even the famed Poseidon's mighty trident, broken off from the god himself, a clenched fist still encircling the weapon though it was now a good fifty or so feet below the statue itself. Some statues had broken off heads, others hands, arms, or even tails-but all were in a state of decay that boasted of long periods of neglect. Seaweed hung from their legs and draped over their arms like cloth, fishes made their bubble nests atop the crowns of the women like crowns they never wore, and the few discarded advertisements and shop signs wedged firmly in between dunes of sand at the bottom of the abyss, growing barnacle mustaches and losing their neon glow.

Elizabeth looked around in astonishment, wondering what Cohen could possibly mean by sending them here, but then she noticed what one particular sign said. "Look," she pointed out to the others, motioning towards a sign than read in surprisingly still bright neon _FONTAINE'S DEPARTMENT STORE._

"Fontaine's," Dewitt murmured. "Ryan sunk the whole thing to the bottom."

"But it's a prison now. Why would Cohen have sent Sally there?"

"Good question." Dante chipped in, this fact having always bothered him as he never found out why. Sure, it all worked out in the end, but if things had turned out differently...if she'd been sent somewhere else...

"_Everyone has needs._" Cohen replied. "_I merely provide a service to those who have the means to pay. You'll find your little bird in the housewares department._" And with that, the radio went dead.

"How many people do you suppose Ryan's got locked up in that place?" Elizabeth questioned, examining the building as they drew closer to it.

"Enough. Fontaine had amassed something near an army. Now they're down there, spliced up and wild." He then noticed that the bathysphere shifting into it's docking mode. "Alright, there's a dock up ahead.

"Takes a cold son of a bitch to do that to a living person."

"What's that?"

"Burial at sea." Dante answered, unholstering his gun and inspecting it.

"You read your residency contract with Ryan Industries?" DeWitt asked, shaking his head. ""In perpetuity." We're all buried at sea."

Their elevator landed at Fontaine's Station, the door swinging open as the smell of death and decomposition filled their noses. Out of all of them, Elizabeth was visibly repulsed by the scent as she pinched her nose and let out a sound of detestment. DeWitt pulled out his own revolver, although only putting in three bullets. Dante noticed and dug out an extra three from his pocket as he handed them to the PI. The smell aside, the building itself did not look like it held up. For starters, there was near ankle high water that soaked the trio's shoes as well as crabs skittering across the floor.

"Don't get too comfortable. Keep your eyes open." The older man advised, scanning the room with his gun pointed out. Dante followed suit, although keeping the gun in a standby position.

"Seem to be some supplies this way, Mr. DeWitt." Elizabeth pointed out, making her way forward.

"It's _Booker,_" the older man grunted, clearly annoyed by this point.

"...What?" Elizabeth asked slowly, almost venomously.

"...Just call me _Booker._"

"If it's all the same to you, let's leave it at _Mr. Dewitt._" Elizabeth replied coldly, turning away and continuing on.

DeWitt grunted, putting a hand to his head and shaking it. Dante noted this as another one of his "spells" as he was beginning to remember.

Elizabeth stopped suddenly, pointing at the gate in front of them. "Look up there." She pointed at what seemed to be a lamp with a chain hanging off it. "Let's have another look around. Perhaps we'll be able to find something to get us up and over."

Another small detail of note was that a bit of the area and bodies that were littered all over were flash frozen. Dante suspected Winter Blast or perhaps a more advanced version of the Plasmid. He wondered if they would come across it during their venture. As the trio looked around, they came across three Air Grabber claw devices in the hands of frosty corpses, all bunched together with horrified expressions plastered on their faces.

"Could be handy," Dewitt nodded appreciatively as he wrestled the device out of the dead man's hand.

"A sky-hook." Elizabeth observed, as the device did resemble the Colombia device.

""Sky-hook"?" DeWitt raised an eyebrow. "You mean the "air-grabber"? Kids use 'em to ride around up on the pneumo lines."

'"Air-grabbers"? Huh." Dante commented before muttering. "Constants and variables indeed."

"Constants and what-?"

"Never mind." The duo quickly waved the question aside in unison before heading back to the gate, new tools in hand and ready to use them.

DeWitt tried out his new toy to get above the gate, only to get stuck halfway over. He groaned in frustration, trying to wrench the machine from its hook, but it wouldn't budge. "Goddamn Grabber's stuck…" He complained before new voices were suddenly heard, these not the friendly sounding kind.

"I want the frosty one! GET ME THE FROSTY ONE!" A crazed voiced yelled out from somewhere close by, but still unseen.

The duo behind the gate stayed silent (as did the PI) and they saw three splicers fighting over an ice-type vigor. The first splicer froze the second before running into an elevator that closed behind him. A third one pursued forward, beating on the door while the first broke from his frosty bindings.

"No! Come back! I want the frosty! Want it! Want it!"

DeWitt fiddled with his device for a moment before feeling it get loose. "Alright, I got the grabber unjammed." He whispered to the duo who gave him a thumbs up. Jumping down, he snuck up behind the second splicer before shooting him straight in the head. This gained the third one's attention as he turned around just to get a bullet to the brain, though not from the PI who turned to see Dante's gun smoking. Elizabeth followed suit, using her grabber to jump over the fence and land on the opposite side.

She walked up to the window before pointing outside to the tower for Housewares. "Housewares...that's where Cohen said we'd find Sally. The store ran trams between the three buildings. We'll need to avail ourselves to that."

"Assuming it still works," Dante said, somewhat unhelpfully.

Elizabeth barely held back a sigh. "Optimism, Mr. Price. It helps in situations like this."

They all made their way over to the elevator, and after pressing the button and waiting for the lift to arrive, they climbed in and began their descent in uncomfortable silence.

"When did you come to Rapture?" Dante decided to ask, knowing Elizabeth would've asked eventually if he didn't, but the silence was becoming unbearable.

DeWitt scratched the back of his head. "Oh, it was...jeez...I guess around '51. No...'48?"

"That's a rather large gap." Elizabeth commented, raising an eyebrow at the man's unsureness.

"Time...life I had before...sort of becomes a blur. '49. '49 for sure." He confirmed before noticing his nose was bleeding. "Damn."

"You look a mess, Mr. DeWitt."

"Just keep your eyes open for splicers. They can do us a whole lot worse."

The doors opened as the trio crouched down, sticking to the shadows so they wouldn't be noticed by the three splicers currently occupying the room. One was feeding dead birds that littered the ground, another was bumbling around with his head down, and the final one was pacing all the while wielding a billy club. The first splicer was talking to herself, trying desperately to get the "birds" to eat the birdseed.

"_There, little birdies. Eat it up. It's good for you, you know! I never heard of birds that didn't like seeds! What's, what's the matter with you? Do you think it's poison?_"

Elizabeth winced in sympathy for the poor woman, but shook herself out of it. She whispered to the others, "Careful. They don't look friendly."

The two nodded as the went to work. DeWitt snuck up behind the woman before snapping her neck, all the while Dante threw a Possession at the lumberer as he then began to beat the armed splicer till he was dead. After the Vigor wore off, he grabbed the billy club and bashed his head in. With the splicers dealt with, they continued on only to find the entry to the tram was blocked. A huge gap halting their progress with water spouting out of the broken pipes below the floor reaching the other side.

"Well, there's the tram." DeWitt commented bitterly, seeing no way to cross.

"That splicer had no problem freezing a path for himself before." Elizabeth pointed out, an idea forming in her mind-Dante could tell just by her look.

DeWitt scoffed. "I'm sure he'll be happy to do the same for us."

"I have no doubt you'll prove persuasive," she murmured sarcastically, mocking the man falling into step behind her before looking over to a sign that advertised something called _Rapture on Ice_. "An ice rink."

"It's a good place to look for our new friend," Dante nodded, adjusting his jacket to compensate for the chill of the area. As they neared the entrance, he could feel the chill settle into his bones, freezing his breath as it came out in puffy clouds and gifting Elizabeth with a rosy complexion.

Elizabeth stopped by the sign as they passed it, gave it a quick read, and noted, "Says it's on a top floor."

"So we go up." DeWitt surmised as he passed by the sign. Just as he stepped up to the door, he jiggled the lock and groaned. "Agh, damn thing's locked."

"Let me see that." She walked up to the door and examined the lock. "Ugh, have matters progressed so little...I could turn this with a rake pick." She leaned down, pulled a lockpick seemingly out of thin air, and after a few seconds passed she easily got the lock open. "Done."

"Where'd you learn that?" Dewitt had tried to peer over her shoulder to see what she was doing while she'd been lockpicking, but she hadn't permitted it.

"Oh, it's something I picked up a long time ago," was the nonchalant answer.

"Our frozen friend leaves one hell of a trail," Dante muttered as they pass by a couple more flash frozen corpses. These ones were more or less the same as the previous ones they'd seen. Entering the next room, they once again crouched down as four splicers were banging on a door that lead to a restaurant.

"_Come on...just let me in ok? Fontaine said we're all equals down here now, all in the same boat. I just want a taste of some high-class food!_" one of them cried out, banging on the door with a metal pipe.

"I don't think they see us. If you two keep quiet, maybe you could get the drop on 'em. Maybe even the odds," Elizabeth suggested, eyeing the room for bottles of EVE and spare ammunition.

DeWitt rubbed his chin, contemplating a course of action. He seemed to come up with an idea. "Yeah. Maybe even lay down a trap or two. What do you think kid?" He turned to Dante, who had already proceeded to silently move up the stairs, and swore. "Kid!"

Realizing he was just being ignored, the PI decided to put his plan into action as Dante went up to the next level. He planted a charged fire ball just close enough the group of four so that they wouldn't notice until it was too late. All he needed now was a good vantage point and a distraction which came in the sound of exchanged gunshots, and a splicer being flung from the rails right near the trap. A couple other of the four moved to investegate, only to be caught on fire and drop dead as their two compatriots suffered the former. DeWitt took advantage of this as he gunned down one before throwing fireball at the other, finishing the last of the four off. A guttural scream was heard as he turned to see a splicer aiming their gun at him, only to have a hole appear in the middle of their head and drop dead. Dante came down the stairs, holding his smoking gun as he downed a bottle of EVE before tossing DeWitt one.

"That the last of them?" Dewitt asked.

"Not sure, but pretty sure we can get through the door now."

They made their way to the door, and as soon as she saw the heavy metal lock on it, Elizabeth groaned in annoyance. She began to dig through her pockets for the lockpick as she muttered, "Okay. Give me a few minutes to crack this...this is getting annoying. Usually this is kinda fun, but…"

"Here," Dante dug through his jacket pocket before pulling out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the lock. "Next best thing to a lockpick, saves us the trouble of finding them." He held it out to Elizabeth who took and examined it. "All you need to do is point, think, and click."

"So I just _think _the lock away?"

"Think of it being unlocked."

"Er...okay…" She closed her eyes, pointed, clicked, and thought hard, and indeed, a few seconds later, they all heard a _click. _She opened her eyes, surprised, and noted that it was indeed unlocked now. She looked at the small device in her hands in wonder. "I have _got _to get me one of these."

Dante smirked. "I'll build you one after all is said and done."

"So what exactly is that thing?" DeWitt asked, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that a small device like that was able to unlock a door. "Is it on the market? 'Cause I could use one."

"I'm sure you could," Elizabeth said icily, her momentary awe and joy at the small device forgotten at the remembrance of their companion.

"It's a sonic screwdriver." Before the PI could ask his next question, Dante added, "And no, it's a custom device."

"Damn shame."

They walked through the door to see more dead splicers, one having a tommy gun near it. Dante grabbed and inspected the weapons drum mag to see it was partially full. They headed near the stairs that lead lower into the restaurant before hearing bickering voices. Heading down the stairs and looking over the rails, they saw a group of splicers, two who were fixing up a turret and another two who were talking to each other. Most of what they said was either inaudible or incomprehensible, and as they chattered and babbled the three discussed a plan of attack. Just as they got their turret working, Dante silently tossed a Possession at it, causing it to go berserk and take out one of the splicers before being destroyed by the others. In the confusion, DeWitt followed suit by tossing one at another splicer as he turned on his ally, killing another of their number before being put down. Dante again threw a Possession at one of the remaining two as he gunned down his ally before both men gun downed the final splicer.

Once the damage was done and the enemy taken out, the three dug around the area for supplies and money that the splicers may have carried before making their way up another set of stairs, hearing another set of splicers. Opening the doors and taking cover, the trio noted that there were two upstairs and two on the level they were on. Upon further inspection, Dante noticed that the two upstairs were near a fuel drum which could be used to their advantage. He felt certain that he could take them out, and then the other two downstairs could be taken out by either hook dismount or plasmid. Silently, he pointed out the downstair pair to DeWitt before pointing at the vantage point he could get to via Air Grabber. The PI understood as he moved towards the pair on their level before Dante got up to the chain and took a shot at the drum. The duo caught on fire and died instantly as the other two took noticed but were gunned down by DeWitt. Once again, the trio searched through the place before coming across a wrecked set of stairs. They used their air grabbers to get across the gap via the magnetic ornamental scones hanging around the place, only to see even more splicers, these in the middle of a firefight.

They apparently were so self-absorbed in their own little feud that they didn't notice the trio landing behind them, hiding right around the corner. Possession seemed to work the last few times so Dante threw one out at a splicer who's back was turned as he killed the other splicer he was fighting with, only to get gunned down by a turret. Moving forward, DeWitt threw one at the turret which didn't attack them. They walked into the next room, finding two splicers alone as the two just gunned them down. A neutralized turret later and after scavenging for more money and ammo, they walked to a door that led to the pavilion.

"What's happened to these people...they don't even seem sane." For the first time since they started this mission, Elizabeth allowed the pity and sorrow to seep into her voice. Dewitt looked at her curiously, before shrugging.

"Nothing beats your first splice. From there, it's all downhill. The frozen frosties, the jockeys who will hand you a thousand volts as soon as look at you…"

Elizabeth threw the look back at him. "You sound sympathetic."

Booker shook his head, looking almost rueful. He didn't look at either of them as he answered. "They wouldn't be the first sons a bitches who found an answer at the bottom of a bottle. But once you seen them go all weak in the knees at the sight of a Little Sister and all her ADAM...well...then they cut a less sympathetic figure." HIs face and voice hardened at that last bit, and for a brief moment Elizabeth could almost sympathize with him.

Opening the doors, they see the pneumo tubes circling around and three stores: Ladies Wear, Fontaine Plasmids and Jack Frost's Ice Rink. But just straight ahead of them was the door leading to the elevator that led back to where the bursted pipe was. There only there was a small problem.

"Short-circuited. Probably be able to pop it open with a-"

"-a jolt of Shock Jockey." Elizabeth finished.

"You familiar with Shock Jockey?" DeWitt asked, a questioning look on his face.

"More than you could know," Elizabeth sighed, already thinking up some places where they might be able to find some.

"Allow me," Dante insisted, and threw his hand out to shoot out Shock Jockey, only for nothing to happen. "Crap, guess I'm out of EVE."

"Let's look around. Maybe there's a store ain't been ransacked by splicers yet," Dewitt suggested hopefully, looking around as if to make his point clearer.

"That plasmid department store's our best bet."

They air grabbed the tubes and got up to the Plasmid store, slowly walking in as they heard a group of splicers. DeWitt didn't know how much EVE he had left but he decided to take a shot as he threw two Possessions at the four splicers, causing the group to take themselves out. Once that was done, they scavenged around to find more bottles of EVE as well as the Shock Jockey which the PI drank.

Elizabeth decided to ask a question that was itching in her mind. "Why did Ryan lock up all of Fontaine's followers in a department store?

"He needed somewhere to put Fontaine's button men. Why not shut down the competition in the bargain?"

"But I thought Andrew Ryan was all about free markets and open competition?" Dante asked, knowing that there was more to it but wanted to know DeWitt's take.

"All those ideas lose their luster when the quarterly earnings come in and you find the other guy's eating your lunch." DeWitt explained, before sighing. "Either way, Fontaine's dead."

They left the store and made their way in to find it was unironically at sub-zero temperatures.

Elizabeth shivered and hugged herself in a vain attempt to bring some warmth back into her bones. "It's freezing in here."

"Something tells me all that cold isn't just comin' from the ice rink," Dewitt observed. His eye caught a frozen figure in the corner still gripping onto a carbine as he walked over and wrenched it away. Inspecting it, he saw it was still full one mag so he slung it over his shoulder and proceeded forward.

As soon as they walked in, they could hear someone shouting at a group of splicers. The voice sounded gruffer than the others, with an authoritative tone that told the trio without being told that he was undoubtedly the leader here. When he spoke, it was with the grating voice of nails on a chalkboard, and Elizabeth winced at the volume in the man's voice, amplified tenfold by the icy cavern he resided in. Even worse was the fact that the splicer seemed to be looking their way, and he growled.

"_Nobody gets even a sip unless I say so! You got it? Anyone come nears that bottle without permission is a DEAD MAN!_"

He then turned away, much to the trio's relief. Dante looked around for what he knew would be there-and yes, there it was, not ten feet away-a glass display case with the Old Man Winter logo on the front. It was closed, but they could see some sort of blue ooze trickling down the spine of the display case from inside. Dewitt turned, saw what he was looking at, and immediately tried to make his way to the case, but Dante stopped him.

"You trying to get yourself killed?" He asked ironically, obviously due to what would've occurred had he not showed up. "We need to strategize here. Whittle them down to just a couple of them and us."

"He's right, as usual," Elizabeth chipped in, looking sourly at DeWitt. "If you go over there now, you'll be frozen in a dry ice block in seconds. We need to take them out before we get to the case. There's only a few of them, I'm sure we can manage. But we need a plan."

"Right, right." DeWitt pondered, trying to come up with a way this could work. After a minute or two, it came to him. "Alright how about this: hit one with Possession, have him get bumped off, wait 'till two of them are in range then use Shock Jockey and finish the remaining two."

Dante looked at the older man with surprise. "Huh, that might just work... Alright, let's do it."

Their plan went into motion as the possessed splicer attacked his comrades until they killed him. Two of them (one of the normal splicers and the Frosty guy) started walking in the trio's direction before being stunlocked by a blast of Shock Jockey. As they were gunned down, the final two emerged only to be taken down by the PI. With all the spliers slain, they walk over to the display case. Elizabeth proceeded to use the screwdriver to unlock it, only to see all the bottles were opened and drunk from. She frowned, Dante sighed, and Dewitt cursed.

"Damn it. That son of a bitch drank every last bottle of Old Man Winter." DeWitt grimaced, not sure what do now that their plan had gone down the drain. "Where the hell else are we supposed to get this crap?"

"I think I can help," Elizabeth said after a moment. She closed her eyes, concentrated, and spread her hands apart, opening a tear where a bottle still existed in the display case. Dante knew what it was, and before she even closed her eyes, he had been expecting it. But Dewitt was completely perplexed, and a little amazed.

"Whoa. What was that?"

Elizabeth was clearly not expecting her miracle to be questioned. She fumbled around for a few moments, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "It's a, uh, new plasmid. Lets me...lets me bring in things that might exist but...don't…" Her lie was a good one, but poorly delivered-either way, Dewitt was fool enough to buy it. He nodded, though he still looked confused.

"Not sure I understand. What's it called?"

"Tear."

"Where'd you find that?"

Elizabeth was silent for a moment as she tried to come up with a response. "It's a new Plasmid, but it's not out on the market yet. I volunteered to be one of the testers for it. It's...fairly useful, but it does have its side effects. They're not planning on releasing it for a while."

Booker nodded, because that made sense, right? "Fair enough. Just wish you'd said something sooner. That could come in handy. Or can you only...er...summon...munade things like that?" And here he pointed to the display case.

"Other things too. But...one of the side effects is that I can't summon things willy-nilly or whatever I want. They're...working on that." Okay, that last bit was a half-lie,, but how was he supposed to know? She couldn't think of any better way to explain it, either, so it would have to do for now.

"How do you mean?"

Elizabeth finally scoffed, turning away from Dewitt and heading towards the exit of the ice rink. "You don't expect a girl to share all her secrets, do you, Mr. DeWitt?"

DeWitt just shook his head, as he proceeded to drink the Plasmid. As they started back to the bursted pipe, DeWitt decided to try and pry more info out of the duo.

"Alright, I know you're the client and all, but I've gone about far enough without a few answers."

"Our purpose here is none of your concern. Consider us a means to an end." Dante answered, suddenly reminding himself of two particular redheads that would say the same thing.

"Then why do I get the feeling like I'm being set up?"

"I told you, we're in collections." Elizabeth interjected, tiring quickly of this topic. "An account is in arrears. Our clients simply want to see matters set to right. Why does it matter to you? You're getting what you want, we're getting what we want."

Booker made a face at that, but he was silent for a few moments more, until he grumbled under his breath, "Don't make any sense, that's all."

Elizabeth sighed, turning towards him impatiently. "If you don't like the arrangement, the bathysphere's back that way." She jabbed a thumb to where they had entered the establishment, and stared him down until he shook his head and pushed past the both of them.

They continue on, retracing their steps(dispatching a few splicers along the way and picking up a shotgun) from the ice rink to the central area, and then back to the burst pipe, where Dewitt used his new Plasmid to ice over the bridge so they could cross. As they made their way over the vast expanse of ice, Elizabeth asked, "If Sally's not your daughter, what's she to you? Why risk life and limb?"

DeWitt looked at her curiously. "Is this part of the job?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "You owe me no explanation."

Dewitt looked away. "She's just another orphan. After Fontaine went down, city was lousy with 'em."

"And…?" she prompted hopefully.

Dewitt suddenly got very defensive, spluttering for a moment or two before answering in a slightly higher pitched tone, "I don't know. You have a reason for every stupid thing you've ever done? She started showing up, looking peaked. More fool of me to feed the brat - shoulda known she would never leave."

Elizabeth, while taken aback at his sudden outburst, did not loosen up on her questioning. "How did you lose her?"

"It's none of you business."

The trio made their way into the bathysphere, pulling the lever so it got underway. It wasn't till they submerged that DeWitt decided to ask something that was nagging at him.

"Somethin' about you two doesn't sit right."

"What?" Dante inquired, curious on what he had to say.

"Wouldn't peg you two as the Rapture type. Not even a little."

Elizabeth glared at him. "If you mean I have no interest in joining the Andrew Ryan book club, you'd be right. Just another set of fanatics with a different set of books."

DeWitt was silent for a few moments, letting that sink in, and seemingly coming to a decision before saying, "I gamble."

"What?"

"You asked me how I lost Sally. I gamble. Took her somewhere a kid's got no business being. I was winning. In a place like that...you don't let a kid outta your sight."

Dante wanted to say something along the lines of "no shit", but decided not to, feeling that it would be inappropriate.

"But you did," Elizabeth noted carefully.

Dewitt laughed mirthlessly. "Yeah, and here we are. But the million-dollar question is: what's she to you?"

"We have an interest in reuniting you with her. Isn't that reason enough?" Dante questioned, eyes narrowing.

"Let's hope Cohen was on the level when he said this is where we'd find Sally."

Elizabeth shuddered as she looked around, lost in her own thoughts momentarily. "I can only imagine what they would do with a child in a place like this."

"Cohen's halfway to splice Town. Probably thought putting a child in prison would be "high art"."

Dante nodded in agreement. "The sooner we find her, the better."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

As they stepped into the Housewares area, the trio witness Sally climbing into a Little Sister vent, trying to get away from a splicer.

"C'mon outta there! Papa's got all sorts of plans for you! Now, you come out and take your medicine!" He threatened before noticing the trio, two of which gunned him down. But even then, Sally had already disappeared into the pipe.

"Sally! Come out of there!" DeWitt called out, hoping the little girl could hear and would listen to him.

Elizabeth, proceeded to peak into the hole, trying to catch a glimpse of her. "I can't see her…" Giving up, she walked over to Dante who was checking the deceased splicer for supplies. "Dante, we need to talk. _Alone,_" she whispered to her companion, hopefully out of earshot of Dewitt. "There's a part of my original plan that I can't see a way out of, and I know that you wouldn't approve, and so I need your help in finding another way."

Dante looked at the vent and the grate that was attached to it, staring for a few moments before realizing what she meant. "You can't be serious. No. We're not doing that."

"I know. It's insane and inhumane. We have to find another way. But I can't for the life of me think of anything. You must have something."

Dante thought for several seconds on this question, until he finally came to a less horrifying (but still unpleasant) solution. "Well, the only other thing I can think of is gassing her out. We could make something with the materials no doubt lying around here, harmless to children of course, and boom, one Little Sister acquired."

"Do you know how to make a gas grenade?"

"Yes, but I require certain materials."

"Like?"

"Some water, a tin can or bottle, baking soda, vinegar, potassium nitrate, sugar, duct tape, fuses, small bits of wool and an ink pen."

"Oh. Well, crap."

Dante waved a hand dismissively, a smirk on his face. "Not to worry. I'm confident we can find all of our quarry in the Department Store section, which, as luck would have it, we are in now."

She whistles appreciatively. "That _is _lucky." She kneels near a toolbox and looks over some schematics she picked up. "Let's see...water we could find just about anywhere. An ink pen would probably be in a desk, which, there are those all over the place. Small bits of wool would best be found in anything made of cloth...a tin can should be fairly easy to find. Vinegar, sugar, and baking soda would most likely be found in the Bistro. Duct tape and fuses, the Electronics department...but where the heck are we going to get potassium nitrate?"

Dante dug through his pockets and pulled out some of his spare bullets and a few shotgun shells. "Gunpowder. All we gotta do is disassemble them and separate the metal from the powder."

DeWitt had had enough of the cloak and dagger stuff the two were pulling on him, so he decided to see what the two were up to. Not that he thought they would tell him anything. "What are two you doing?"

Elizabeth started at his voice, and quickly turned around, masking her face as she went. She strode over to a toolbox and knelt down. "This is a schematic for the venting system. It shows there are more vents like this one in electronics, the bistro, returns, the book department and the appliance show floor."

"So?"

"If she's in there, there are only six vents she can come out of."

Dante then stepped up to the vent, and proceeded to shut it. "And now there are five. All these vents are connected to the central heating unit. If we close them off, she'll be forced out through the central exhaust. It's the only exit."

"You want to burn her alive?"

"What? No! Of course not! We have another way. We just need to gather some components for a gas grenade to flush her out."

DeWitt shook his head in vehement disapproval, a stern tone lining his voice. "No, we can't do that."

Elizabeth was taken aback at the tone in his voice, and seemed to be considering something before pulling herself out of it. "Look, either we find her...or one of those splicers will. I promise, the grenade my partner is going to make is completely harmless, but it will lure her out."

DeWitt sighed in defeat. "...All right. Where are the other vents?"

Elizabeth nodded in front of her. "Up ahead. Let's go."

"So what are these items we need?" The PI asked, some hesitancy lingering in his voice.

"Water, a tin can, baking soda, vinegar, potassium nitrate, sugar, duct tape, fuses, small bits of wool and an ink pen," Dante reiterated, almost without thinking.

"Okay but what about…?"

"Gunpowder contains potassium nitrate. All we need is a few shotgun shells." Elizabeth looked at Dante. "Which he has."

Dewitt nodded, and they all continued in relative silence. Near the door leading into Electronics was a clothing display, with a mannequin dressed in a fur collared coat. Dante stepped up into the display and ripped a few chunks of the collar off before storing it in his pocket.

"That's one item down."

Elizabeth used the screwdriver to unlock the door and as they entered, they spotted splicers guarding an exit vent.

"_C'mon, love. Ol' Mickey just wants to give you a little squeeze. You don't want to disappoint your old uncle, now do ya_?"

"_You come outta there! Ain't no fair keeping that tasty ADAM locked up in your stomach! Ain't no fair_!" another splicer screamed at the vent, banging his pipe on the ground.

The first splicer whirled on him, glaring and smacking him. "_Quiet, ya yag. She comes out for the honey, not the vinegar…_"

"Damn creeps," muttered Elizabeth.

DeWitt and Dante proceeded to take out the two plus another that was walking around before shutting the vent closed. "Two down. Where to now?"

Dante spotted an audio log not far from the vent, but decided to not tell the PI. Instead, he asked, "Think you can grab a TV and bring it over here?"

While DeWitt began to look around for one that wasn't smashed or apart of a larger monitor, Dante gave the audio log a listen to. Apparently it was for some kind of device that super cooks food that was locked up due to an incident. After memorizing the code down, the PI brought back a tv that was in pretty good shape.

"So what are you going to do with this?" Dewitt asked Dante, which garnered him no response.

"This." Digging in his pocket, he dug out a handkerchief before wrapping it around his hand. With one swift punch, Dante broke the screen and cleared a good chunk of the glass as he looked inside. He spotted the next component needed for the gas grenade. "Two down, five to go. The sooner we find them, the better."

They proceeded towards the bistro, taking down the splicer roaming the top level silently. Thankfully said spicer had an ink pen on them as it was lifted of their corpse. A spiral of stairs led down to the second level, which contained the kitchen, as well as three more splicers. They were dealt quickly via turret that Elizabeth summoned from a tear. While Dante gathered four more of the ingredients, the other two came across a locked door housing an odd device.

"What is that thing in there?" Elizabeth questioned tilting her head in confusion.

"It's a Radar Range. Never could figure out if the thing's designed to cook a turkey or a splicer." DeWitt surmised, trying to open the door only for it to not budge.

"Damn door's got a key code lock. No way to get in without knowing what it is."

"Try three, nine, five, eight." Dante suggested, placing all the ingredients he got on a nearby counter.

Elizabeth did so just as they heard a tiro of splicers making their way down the stairs. She opened the door and tossed the weapon to Dante who turned it on and proceeded to fire it at the three. What happened next he did not expect as the psycho turned into a mist of pink, causing the user to look at it in shock before looking at the PI.

"When you said cook splicer, I thought you meant it'd burn or fry them, not turn them into a fine mist."

Dewitt scoffed. "Not exactly meant to be used on people. Course it'd have a different effect. If you can't handle it, just give it to me."

"No, no, I got it."

"Good. Last thing I need is carrying another weapon around."

Dante nodded, and looked over the weapon again before grabbing the spare munitions it had. "Otherwise, I think we pretty much have everything we need for a gas bomb."

Elizabeth went over all the items, and nodded with each one, but also noticed one absent item. "But we're missing the duct tape."

Dante held up a finger before digging into his coat pocket and pulling out a roll of duct tape. This caused the other two to raise an eyebrow at him, and he simply replied, "They're bigger on the inside." They didn't bother questioning it, as he just started to put the handmade explosive together, which took him a good five minutes to complete. "There. One harmless gas grenade ready to go."

"It'll work?" DeWitt said dubiously. "And it won't hurt her."

"I guarantee both." Dante reassured him. "Normal grenades work by flinging shrapnel. All this will do is release a cloud of harmless gas."

With that they went back upstairs and closed the bistro vent with only half remaining. As they entered into Appliances, they hear and see two more splicers in wait for Sally.

"_It's not working! Where is she?!_"

"_C'mon...my baby needs you! Get outta there! What's wrong with you?! Ain't you got no heart?!_"

Dante proceeded to "cook" the two, gruesome as it was, and soon nothing was left put a mist that dissipated quickly. Closing the fourth vent, the trio proceeded to make their way into the bookstore. Five splicers in total inhabited it with one turret, but a few seconds of gunfire and Possessions later they all fell. The fifth vent was closed as they make their way towards the showroom to find two more splicers and a turret. Only this time the two were guarding a tall makeshift barrier that closed the Toy section off.

"_More! It's not enough! That giant son of a bitch will walk right through that!_"

"_What if there's still a service door? Or...or a fire exit?!_"

"_We'll seal it up! Lock him away forever!_"

The splicers and their turret were quickly dealt with just before Elizabeth asked, "What exactly were they trying to keep out?"

"Something worse than them."

Elizabeth shuddered, not liking the sound of that one bit. "And what could that be?"

"You'll know it when you see it," Dante said cryptically, eyeing the shadows around them.

They were nearing the vent near the showroom, before they heard the hums of a little girl, double-edged and echoing against metal walls. Elizabeth stopped in her tracks and shushed the other two. "Hear that?"

Dewitt stopped and strained to listen. "Sally...?" He moved closer to the vent, peering in hopefully. "Sally, it's me, Booker. Now, you come out now! Sally? Dear, do you hear me? It's me, Booker. Now listen, dear - you come out right now!"

"She's not coming out." Dante stated, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Now, let's get the rest of these vents sealed. It's the only way."

DeWitt sighed begrudgingly as he shut the final vent, looking to Elizabeth for confirmation.

"That's the last one."

He nodded. "Alright, where's the exhaust?"

"In the toy department." Dante answered, realizing what was about to come to pass. "Come on, the sooner we get there the better."

The trio hurried over though the appliances section, slaying some splicers along the way, and headed for the door leading to Toys. Halfway there, DeWitt slowed down and grunted, shaking his head slightly like he was trying to get rid of a headache. The duo took notice, surmising that the memories were almost at the surface. They decided not to ask the PI about his condition but reach the door...only to find it locked. Dewitt groaned, but Elizabeth pulled out the screwdriver.

"I don't know if that will work. It looks like it's locked from the other side. How the hell are-?"

She cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Look. I think I can squeeze through. Gimme a boost, will you?"

Dewitt complied, boosting her into the vent. Once she got on the other side, she set to work picking the lock with the sonic. It was at this moment that a group of splicers began to approach their location, Dante and DeWitt fending them off with their combined weapons and Plasmids.

"What's taking so long?" the PI asked all the while reloading his carbine while Dante turned another splicer into a fine mist.

Elizabeth fumbled with the screwdriver, trying to get it to function. "I just, I can't get the-"

"Come on!"

"I'm just, I'm try-...just give me a second!"

A good few seconds later, the assaulting splicers were no more as Elizabeth unlocked the door.

"Cutting it a bit close there aren't we?" Dante chided slightly, taking a good once over of the loaned device to make sure it was working.

"Sorry, I dropped it." She then turned to the PI. "DeWitt. Well, you don't seem any worse for wear."

"Speak for yourself," he grumbled.

Making their way into the main floor of the toy department, they spotted the exhaust vent which Elizabeth peered into.

"No sign of her."

"She'll turn up eventually. Come on, give me the grenade."

Dante handed her the makeshift explosive before turning to DeWitt. "It won't hurt her, remember, but she won't like it. She's going to freak out, but it's necessary. After she comes out, don't try to force her out, otherwise she won't trust you."

"Okay. Now...do your thing."

Elizabeth wordlessly popped the grenade and slid it into the vent, hoping that it worked as planned. Gas emitted from the explosive and filled the vent, and soon enough a little voice could be heard coughing her lungs out. DeWitt perked up almost immediately.

"Is that her?"

"It couldn't be anyone else," Elizabeth snapped. "Quiet, she's coming this way."

DeWitt tried to look inside the vent without moving, but eventually he almost couldn't take it anymore. He tried to walk up to the grate, but Dante stopped him.

"No! No. She'll come out on her own. If we force her out she won't trust us and she'll just run off again. She'll be scared of us just like the splicers. We don't want that, do we?" Dante was not a fan of the way DeWitt originally handled Sally's discovery. He knew on some level that he actually cared for the child, and he was hoping that by appealing to that small part, perhaps the disastrous battle with the Big Daddy could be avoided.

DeWitt looked at Dante, furious for a moment before realizing that he was right and sighing, looking longingly at the vent. After he heard her scrambling again, and her double-edged whimpers, he called to her, "Sally. Sally? Sally, it's Booker...it's me... Sally, c'mon. I'm gonna get you outta here. Sally! Come out here right now!" It should have sounded authoritative and stern, but it came out as worried and frantic. For the first time, Elizabeth looked at him with something akin to pity.

Sally responded from within the vent. "No no no no! No!"

Dewitt couldn't take it anymore. Despite Dante's best efforts, he pushed past him and reached into the vent, managing to grab hold of Sally's arm. The PI pulled her into the light, only to discover that she had been turned into a Little Sister, much to his horror. All he could do for the next few moments was look at the child in shock, breathing out, "Sally...no...!"

Elizabeth panicked, rushing to his side and yelling, "Booker! _Let her go-_"

"Mr. BUBBLES-!" the girl cried, wrenching out of his hold.

The trio turned around just in time to evade a Big Daddy firing it's drill at them, only to embed itself on the wall. As it yanked it out of the concrete, Dante and DeWitt already brandished their weapons and began to fire a hail of bullets. All this did was infuriate the diving suit wearing creature as it spun up its drill and charged forward. The attack was evaded as the duo made jumped up onto the pneumo tubes, getting them distance between them and the beast. Elizabeth made herself scarce, heading down to the next level to find any extra ammo or EVE only for a tear to catch her eye. She took the gamble as she opened it for a Patriot to materialize, it taking notice of the drill welding opponent.

"_God judges, I act_." It spewed out as it began peppering the Big Daddy in gunfire. The rage and attention at the two assailants was changed to the automaton war machine as the two clashed. Elizabeth took this opportunity to regroup with the other two, finding them taking potshots as the Patriot and its opponent were duking it out. She handed an EVE vial that she had found to Dante and gave DeWitt some ammunition, along with a dirty look.

"You just _had _to have her, didn't you?" she shouted over the gunfire, scolding him prematurely.

"Look, I panicked, okay? It would have taken her forever to come out on her own, she was crawling away before I grabbed her."

"She has nowhere to go, what don't you understand about that? She wasn't going anywhere-"

"Can we _not _do this now?" Dante interrupted, rolling his eyes as he took another shot at the Big Daddy. "There will be plenty of time later to yell at Mr. DeWitt to our heart's content."

Elizabeth shot one last look at the PI before saying, "I'll look around for more supplies."

The two gunmen nodded before heading back towards the lumbering monster who had just finished tearing the Patriot apart, although looking pretty battered itself. Dante threw out a shot of Shock Jockey all the while DeWitt followed it up with Old Man Winter which seemed to stop the creature in its tracks. The duo took the opportunity to hail it with both shotgun and machine gun fire, the ice breaking as it stumbled back dazed. Both guns spent, the duo swapped to their secondaries only to stumble when the Big Daddy slammed its foot on the ground, shaking it violently. With their guards broken, it took the opportunity to shoulder check Dante into the wall before aiming its drill at his head. Thankfully he moved just in time to get back over to his fallen weapon, while DeWitt tried getting a closer shot only to be swatted aside. The PI nearly fell off the railing before Dante caught his arm, pulling him up just in time for the Big Daddy to charge, only to bust through the railing and fall to the second level below landing with a thud.

Elizabeth moved from her cover position to catch up with the duo, dodging stray debris thrown her way and picking up ammo as she went. She tossed a couple rounds to them before ducking behind an overturned display.

"Just to make sure," she called, slowly peeking her head out from behind it.

Dante and DeWitt nodded, although exhausted and sore, went down to where the Daddy fell, finding it still writhing. They shot it one final time before leaving it and heading back to the vent where Sally was long gone. Or so they thought…

"Mr. Dewitt, the girl…" Elizabeth came up beside them, peering into the vent. "She's still in there. She's close to the entrance, but we'll need to lure her out. We don't have another gas grenade…"

"Sally!"

"_No no no no!_" the girl cried from inside, climbing up to the mouth of the vent of her own accord.

Dante stepped back to allow the girl room if she decided to come out, but he doubted that was likely. "Mr. DeWitt...is she...?"

"It's okay, Sally…"

Elizabeth tried again. "Is she-"

Dewitt took something out of his pocket and held it up to the vent mouth. The girl inched closer for a better look, fixing the object with a fascinated gaze. Upon closer inspection, it was a severed doll's head. No doubt, the doll that Sally had been holding in the photo. Dewitt visibly relaxed when Sally reacted warmly to the doll, and pushed it closer to her.

"Look...look, it's Sarah!" His voice was softer now, softer than Elizabeth had ever heard even Booker use, and she was startled by it. His voice still held that edge of anxiety, but he did a good job of burying it. "Huh? She's come to see you! We're going home...do you want to go home?"

DeWitt saw an opportunity to pull her out of the vent as Sally moved towards the doll head. Before he could though, he found himself yanked from the vent and thrown to the ground. He got up to recover to find Dante standing over him, looking down with a straight face.

"What the hell?" he grunted, angry.

"She's not your daughter. Not really."

"I just want to take her home...I just want-" DeWitt struggled to speak, trying to find the words he wanted to say and connecting them as coherent sentences in his head, but the harder he tried, the more overwhelmed he felt. Eventually, he collapsed, a strange feeling overtaking him. He blinked furiously, shaking his head, before his thoughts were filled with memories long suppressed…

"_You're hurting her!" a woman pleaded, her husky but sweet voice strangely familiar to him. He couldn't place it, not right now...it was on the tip of his tongue, he __**knew **__that voice, but from where? How? His dreamself turned to look at the source of the voice and he saw a woman, with short choppy hair and bright blue eyes, shiny with tears as she screamed at someone unseen. He tried to turn to look, and to his utter shock saw his own face staring back at him, younger and bearded and holding...was that a child? A little girl. What the hell was going on?_

"_She's got to come with me!" Younger Him shouted furiously, pulling the child through some sort of...was it a window? No..a few more seconds of observation debunked that theory. Whatever it was, it was unlike anything he had ever seen, though in the back of his mind a faint, brief memory tickled, shouting to be remembered, but he couldn't recall it._

"_She's not your child," the still unnamed woman tried again, clenching her fists._

"_She IS mine," his younger self proclaimed again, attempting to pull the child through again. It was only now that DeWitt realized that there was another person there, on the other side of the...thing. He looked exactly like the younger version of himself, only beardless and very, very angry. The child was mostly on his side, the other man protectively clutching most of her body. Only her head was still on the other side. Another man, a sharply dressed redhead flicking switches and pushing buttons on a nearby machine, and a woman who seemed to be his exact clone-identical twin, definitely-were arguing amongst themselves and with the younger DeWitt._

_The redheaded man seemed to stare right at him then, his blue eyes cold but was a few long moments of this before he declared, "The tear is closing!" to the younger version of himself._

_Younger him seemed to want to argue, but another shove of the other DeWitt and he relented. "Shut it down! Shut down the machine!"_

_The redheaded woman spoke next, seeming to side with her partner but also with Younger Him. "You've got to pull her through!"_

"_Shut down the machine!" he cried again._

"_No, she's not through!-Hurry!-We can't, she'll-Don't you dare!" The twins argued back and forth, both with each other and their employer, until their voices were quickly drowned out by each other and they became a blur along with the Younger Him's. Finally, he screamed,_

"_SHUT IT DOWN!"_

_That got their attention-and suddenly, DeWitt knew what was about to happen seconds before it did. He reached out, intending to stop it, save her, do __**something-**_

"_Oh, no, no, look out-!"_

_The portal-that was the only thing it could be-shimmered, shifting sizes and changing colors, and for a second it was almost magical. Then it began to shrink, as if in slow motion, and then all of a sudden it was over, and it really shouldn't have happened so quickly, it was so cruel. The portal had closed around her head, decapitating the girl and leaving only her head, which landed on the floor and dissolved in a puddle of black liquid. The puddle smoked and fizzled before sinking into the floor, never to be seen again._

_Comstock. Zachary Hale Comstock. Robert and Rosalind Lutece, Booker DeWitt, and...and Elizabeth. Oh, Elizabeth._

"_What have I done?"_

It all came back to him in a sudden and nauseating rush, the memories of his past life and what atrocities he had committed finally sinking in as he came to on the disgusting floor of Rapture's Toy Department. What he had done...who he had been...who _she _was…

He looked up, searching for her face, and finding her gaze no longer bored and disinterested, but cold and furious. She stepped closer to him as he scrambled to stand. He tried for words, anything, but he had a feeling she would not listen. And why should she? There was no coming back from what he'd done...

"I remember...all of it. That poor child..._you…_"

Elizabeth's gaze was indescribable. Icy, furious, hellbent, murderous...none of those words did that look justice. "She wasn't yours..._Comstock_. _I _wasn't. Yet you _had_ to have me, didn't you?"

"No, this isn't right…"

Elizabeth did not care for his placating words. She no longer cared about whether or not he felt any guilt, or offered any sort of apologies, or what have you. He needed to suffer, _now. _"And when the guilt was too much-"

"-you turned to us to solve your problem."

He whirled around to see the Luteces standing right in front of him. Before he had a chance to question their presence, his mind flashed back to their lab after the incident….

"_To provide a place to go where you might forget."_

_The twins opened a portal that showed Rapture on the other side. The rest was history._

"_Where there never was an Anna in the first place."_

"_Comstock was never one to own up to his errors, was he, brother?"_

"_Never comfortable with the choices he made…"_

"_Always seeking someone else's life to claim his own…"_

Comstock put together what happened after that: he'd set up his Rapture P.I. business and shaved off his beard before redawning the alias of Booker DeWitt. Afterwards, he had never put much thought into anything else, just where to get his next fix of drinking and gambling and struggling to pay his debts, just like before. Until Sally.

Comstock looked mournfully at Elizabeth, shaking his head. "Elizabeth...child...I am so sorry…"

Elizabeth looked like she desperately wanted to say something absolutely scathing, but apparently she thought better of it. She said nothing for a few moments, then sighed, shaking her head sadly. "Maybe you are. Maybe you aren't. It doesn't matter now. What's done is done. Even I can't change the past. But no matter how sorry you think you are, it's not enough. It'll never be enough-not for her."

The former Prophet tried to find words he could say to ease her pain, only for the sound of loaded weapons to be heard. The two looked around to see that Dante had both his pistol and a shotgun in either hand, pointed out at a surrounded group of armed splicers. This had somehow gone unnoticed as the junkies surrounded them so quietly. Elizabeth and Comstock started to look for a way out but couldn't find an opening. Any splicer that shifted slightly, Dante aimed a gun their way as a sign to back off. Just when the trio thought it couldn't get worse, an Irish voice spoke up and said, "Well color me surprised. What an unlikely trio we have here!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"This is certainly a surprise," the man drawled in his faux Irish lilt. "Can't say it's a pleasant one, though. Now just what are you fellers doin' down here? This is a _restricted area. _How did ye even get down here…"

"I suppose we could ask the same of you," Elizabeth said uneasily, eyeing Dante. This was an unexpected, and frankly unwelcome, development. Dante just shrugged in response.

"I suppose ye could, but yer not really in a position to," the Irishman muttered, studying her closely. Dante cleared his throat, but he was ignored—the businessman's attention was entirely on the young lady. "Well, what have we here. I've heard about you, Miss Songbird. Cohen's latest little pigeon. Doesn't look it's working out so well, eh?"

Elizabeth did not respond, instead rearranging her face into a deep frown and glaring at the man. She didn't know what, but something about this guy was setting off all the alarm bells in her head. She looked over at Dante, and it looked like he shared her sentiments completely.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing? Get away from there—"

Both startled and turned towards the source of the voice—it was Comstock, turned towards the vent where Sally had disappeared. He was yelling at a splicer, who had found Sally and was forcing her out. Sally, of course, was desperate to escape. She kicked and screamed, pulling on the man's arm and trying to bite him several times. This only serves to amuse the splicer, as evidenced by his loud and obnoxious chortling. Said amusement was abruptly ended by the click of a gun as Dante trained his pistol on his head.

"Let the girl go," he threatened, his finger getting closer to squeezing down on the trigger. The only thing preventing him from taking the shot were the other splicers' guns trained on him.

"Can't do that boyo," Atlas interjected, amused at the scene before him, but his voice held a cold tone to it. A warning. "You see, Little Sisters are worth their weight in gold, she ain't up for negotiation. You, however, and quite expendable." He nodded to one of the closer by splicers. "Do it."

"Wait, no! We...we can get you back to Rapture!" Elizabeth shouted in a moment of sudden genius. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. What the hell was she thinking? She turned to Dante for help, and he nodded. Thank God, he was coming up with a plan even as Atlas spoke again.

"Put the gun down," he ordered the same splicer before turning his full attention on the trio. "Now...what was that you said about Rapture?"

Elizabeth repeated again, though with far less confidence than she originally had: "I—_we—_can get you back to Rapture."

Atlas chuckled, shaking his head. "And how you plan on doin' that, sister? You some kinda magician? Or perhaps Grandpa over there has some old times tricks up his sleeve," he joked, pointing to Comstock.

"Suchong," Dante said simply, making himself noticed.

Atlas' eyes narrowed at the mention of the name, aiming his gun in Dante's direction. "And how do you know that slant-eyed wonder?"

"She and I are his lab assistants."

Atlas seemed to accept this information fairly quickly, raising an eyebrow before nodding. If he doubted their story in anyway, he didn't show it. But then he paused for thought. "In case it escaped your notice, Andrew Ryan's sunk us 5,000 fathoms below his shining city. How does Suchong propose to get us back?"

Elizabeth stepped up to the plate, filled with a newfound but shaky confidence. "That's between us and the slant...but if we do this, the girl goes with us. To your point, last time I checked, back in the city they were making Little Sisters by the dozen. You can afford to lose this one."

Atlas actually laughed now. "That's a right fairytale you've dreamed up...but if you're lying, we can just as well kill ya tomorrow. Down here, we got nothin' but time." He stopped, looking truly for the first time at Comstock, who was hanging back from both the duo and the conversation, watching it all play out apprehensively. He gestured to him. "What's his story? Is he with you? What's his part in this? I can't imagine him as a lab assistant."

Elizabeth glanced back at him, having forgotten him again in all the excitement. Her face quilt resigned from the cold and unforgiving expression she had worn for most of the first part of their adventure. She was silent for a few moments, but sending that Atlas would not wait for an explanation for long, she just decided to wing it. "He's hired protection. He may not look it, but he's quite the muscle man. Appearances can fool and all that. He's worth his weight, so he's going with us as well."

"Very well. Just get the damn job done." He then kicked over a radio towards them, which Elizabeth picked up. "In case I need to get hold a ya. If you see Suchong, tell him: Atlas says he hasn't forgotten 'im." He turned to his men before waving his hand in a circle, the group departing the trio's company with Sally in tow, still struggling desperately. Elizabeth was sorry to see her go, but she silently vowed that she would save her before this whole thing was over.

As soon as Atlas' back disappeared, Elizabeth rounded on Dante. "Thank _God _for you," she sighed, her breath shaky but somewhat relieved. "I can't say I'm pleased with this fetch quest we're being sent on, but at least we're still alive. Do you have a plan?"

"For the time being, let's just see what we can do to get this tyrant what he wants."

"Yeah." She perked up for a moment, turning to Comstock, who was still lurking a ways behind. After a few seconds of deep contemplation, she sighed wearily. "Are you coming, 'hired muscle'?"

Comstock startled at being addressed, but nodded. "I suppose I don't have any choice."

"That's right. You don't."

Comstock didn't look disgruntled and didn't even sigh. He just nodded, and moved to follow the duo as they left the toy store.

_**XxxxX**_

The trio took a service elevator down to the lower level, going through an air duct while hearing the mindless rambles of nearby splicers. Elizabeth glared at Comstock the entire time, and he stared right back, but there was no hostility was in his gaze. The vent led to a school/academy that was named after Rapture's leader. Silently taking out a splicer that was in the way, they made their way past a still rolling education film narrated by Ryan about the parasites of society. Making their way to the next door, they found a crossbow locking it shut before Elizabeth removed it. While she inspected it and the loaded bolt, Dante noticed on the wall a sign that read "for the pacification of disruptive children" as well as a rack next to it. This slightly disturbed him, knowing that the education of Rapture children required the use of drugs. Shaking the thought away, he asked, "Know how to use that thing?"

"It's a crossbow," she explained, examining two other bolts she found on the floor. "Looks like the bolt delivers some kind of sleep agent, probably phencyclidine or sodium thiopental."

Comstock was slightly impressed at her knowledge, making a slight sound of approval all the while Dante was giving her an inquisitive look.

Elizabeth merely shrugged. "They had all kinds of books in my tower. How do you think I always knew what ammo to toss you?"

Dante gave her a look. "Knowin' ain't the same as bein' ready."

The trio moved into the next room, taking care not to gain the attention of more splicers, these ones rambling the lessons of the academy. Each person silently eliminated the opposition (Dante was able to grab an extra revolver from a nearby reception desk, and some extra ammunition) all the while exiting the disturbing prep school. Comstock, ironically enough, looked thoroughly disturbed as he glanced back at the open doors to the school.

"What's wrong?" asked Elizabeth, though she didn't really care. She was already moving to get out of earshot when Comstock spoke.

"This Ryan fellow. He...what he's doing to these children, brainwashing them to follow his ideals. I did the same thing, I think. It's...sort of a blur, but I remember it." he looked at Elizabeth. "Did I-"

"I'm not going to discuss anything with you," she said coldly, turning away.

"I suppose that's fair," Comstock admitted, mouth a grim slash. He looked to Dante, wondering if he would perhaps find an answer there, but Dante wasn't looking back at him.

They made their way through the area until Elizabeth noticed something. She stopped the others and pointed it out.

"Look. A sign for the Silver Fin restaurant. Says it's been closed by Suchong."

"Huh. That's convenient."

Comstock scratched the back of his head, his memoires still a bit of a jumble. "I don't follow."

"It looks like this Suchong character has taken over the Silver Fin restaurant." Elizabeth explained. "That's where the tear was that I used when I first came to Rapture looking for Comstock. Before this place was turned into a prison."

"But the first time we came to Rapture was in 1960. With Booker. When you drowned Songbi-"

"Over a year from now...yeah." She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head slightly. "Alright...if we're going to find Suchong, the Silver Fin is the place to start. I know the way."

"Shouldn't we check that place out before we head there?" Dante asked, motioning towards a bookstore by the name of Cupid's Arrow.

Elizabeth nodded. "I was here as well right after I came through, I needed something to wear that was a little more... "Rapture-appropriate"." They used one of their air grabbers to crank open the door, before entering the store. Elizabeth picked up one of the various books, flipping through it before her face flushed red in embarrassment as she quickly discarded the magazine. "Well...they didn't have these books in my tower."

Dante couldn't help but snicker at her slight of innocence. She glared at him playfully, and turned away. They made their way to the back of the shop, a bottle of a plasmid sitting in the middle of the show room. Just as Comstock was reaching out, Dante caught him by the wrist and he grabbed hold of the bottle.

"What?"

"Well, it's just that you and I are so filled up on Plasmids, maybe we should give this one to Elizabeth."

Elizabeth takes and drinks plasmid, a sour look coming over her face as she stuck out her tongue in disgust. "Bleguh! Is this how all plasmids taste like?"

While a clever retort was normal in this situation, a couple splicers made their presence known as they noisily entered the store. Deciding to test the new found plasmid, she channeled the thought of wanting to see past the wall, confirming a duo of splicers. She held out two fingers to her compatriots before pointing them to her eyes and the wall. They got the message as Dante handed Elizabeth the extra revolver he picked up. Silently he confirmed that two shots were loaded in the chamber and did a sign for "point, aim and shoot". Elizabeth nodded before once again channeling a thought(this time of disappearance) before she instantly became translucent. Sneaking around front she takes out the two nogoodniks, taking somewhat shaky headshots while they couldn't see her. Dante decided to take a look in the dressing room, Comstock following suit as they came across a dress display that held the former outfit of Lady Comstock's that Elizabeth wore in Colombia. The hybrid made a slight mental note to come back for the outfit, seeing as it was left here.

"Hey...there you are."

The two turned to see Elizabeth looking at the outfit with nostalgia, walking up to it and tracing her hand over the fabric.

"Check to see if those two had any more friends." Dante told Comstock, handing him the radio. The older man nodded and headed back to the front, all the while, Dante turned back to Elizabeth as she sighed.

"Lots of memories with that dress," she began, softly. "It's the first thing I wore after...well. We both know. Other than that...a lot of bad memories associated with that dress, actually."

"Yeah, but you did wear it during our first kiss so it's not all bad."

Elizabeth smiled gently. "True enough. I just wish there were more good ones."

"Well, once we get out of here, we'll make some good memories." Dante smiled back, taking her hand in his. She squeezed it tightly, letting their joined hands drop between them. Good timing, as well since Comstock came back.

"No one in sight, we're good for now." He then noticed the close distance between the two. "Is something-?" He cut himself off, turning away, figuring he didn't really have any right to ask.

Elizabeth unclasped their hands, sighing. They had work to do right now, but they could talk more later. She turned to Comstock and nodded.

"Okay. We should get going, then. More might turn up."

The trio took their leave, Dante casting one last glance at the dress before making a mental note. He would come back for it. They made their way out of the adult store, fending off a few more soldiers on their way to the next destination. Finally they found the abandoned elevator and hopped in, silent all the way. Two of the three were more than happy to let the ride slide in silence, but Comstock would not have it. He cleared his throat, calling for attention.

"Why did you decide that I should be spared? If you have that much anger towards me, which is fair, surely you would at least want me dead."

"I did," Elizabeth admitted after a moment, "but he," and here she jerked a thumb at Dante, "wouldn't let me. The only reason you're standing here right now is because you have a debt to repay me, and sins to make up for."

"Honestly, this is a better option then just outright murder. Wouldn't make us any better than you are," Dante added, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

Comstock didn't say anything as a response to this—he didn't even move his head. He just stood there, waiting for them both to continue, before the radio crackled to life as a familiar Irish voice spoke. "'_Cuse my eavesdropping, but if I had known that man that there was drama between the three of you, I might have had second thoughts on our arrangement. Drama tends to be an unnecessary distraction, and we don't need any of those."_

Elizabeth stepped in. "We'll hold up our end. But the girl better be the way we left her."

Atlas chuckled darkly. "_You're in no position to make demands. But I must confess, I do like a bit a sass in a lass._"

"If you love the sound of your own voice, why don't you marry it that way you can get laid." Dante snarked at the radio, though got no reply from his threat.

Elizabeth looked at him, shocked but pleased. "Not that that wasn't awesome, because it was. But we shouldn't let him get under our skins."

"Sorry, needed some levity for the tension."

"I know." She let a small smile slip onto her face. "But we can't let him know that he's getting to us."

"He won't. Just wanted to let him know that we're not just gonna lie down and take it."

"I think you've definitely accomplished that, then."

They came around to Bathyspheres Deluxe, the car dealership equivalent in Rapture. While the room was big and sprawling, and splicers could be heard, a certain...other thing could also be heard. Something familiar, but the memory was just out of reach. Just as the door opened in front of them, a Big Daddy walked around their immediate area, thankfully paying them no mind, but probably only because he didn't notice them. Deciding not to provoke the walking death machine, they snuck past it to the door of The Silver Fin, only to find it, of course, locked.

"This used to be a restaurant when I first came through. Now it belongs to this...Suchong." Elizabeth stated, examining the dead bodies, puddles of blood, and dropped tools that were in front of the door. "Looks like we're not the first one who tried to get in here." Elizabeth then noticed something-a trail of blood leading off to the maintenance area, and she pointed it out to her companions. "At least he left a trail."

Following the blood trail, they come upon a corpse holding a rolled up blueprint in it's left hand. Dante looked over the body, figuring out the cause of death. "Somebody must have shot him when he tried to break into Suchong's." He proceeded to relieve the dead man of the paper before examining it. "Well, seems like central heating came from this room," pointing up at the vent towards the right wall. "So it would stand to reason that the ductwork should go to Suchong's."

Comstock moved to the cabinet, testing it for a moment before moving it aside to reveal an air duct, the opening easily wide enough to allow them access through it. Elizabeth stared up at it, unable to believe their luck.

"Suchong wasn't exactly a master of subterfuge, was he?"

She stepped in the way of the vent, making her way to climb up into it. Dante followed, with Comstock taking up the back. They climbed in relative silence, pausing when they heard nearby splicers looking into other openings of the vents, and when they were unsure which corner to take when faced with two. Eventually, they emerge in an opening that leads into a closed off section, safe from the enemy splicers. A photo of Suchong adorned a wall, Elizabeth pointing it out to everyone else.

"Think we found our man."

Dante shook his head, or tried to. It was difficult in the enclosed space. "Nothing says "I've got an ego" quite like having a huge picture of yourself in your own office."

"No sign of him now." Comstock stated, looking around.

"Either's he dead...or working for Ryan," Dante noted ominously.

They each exited the vent, one by one as quietly as they could. They took a quick look around the entrance, and the door on their left was locked with a rotary code. Elizabeth shook her head.

"Locked. And nothing to pick. But I came here for a reason, right? Isn't that why you said we'd find Suchong?"

"Of course." Damte confirmed looking around for anything of note, distantly wondering if his sonic would do the trick. "There must be something here that Suchong was working on."

It didn't take long for the trio to notice a set of photos plastered on the wall to their right. Getting closer, they saw model sitting on the desk as well as familiar sites and faces plastered on the wall. Elizabeth gasped at what she saw, reaching out as if to touch it would bring the memories to life.

"Columbia...he knew about Columbia. And-and Booker, and...and me. This Suchong must have found a way to reopen the tear I made to come here...but how?"

On a hunch, Dante scanned the nearby area as the sonic detected something familiar nearby. He motioned for the other two to follow into the next room as they saw...

"A Lutece device." Elizabeth breathed out. "That's how he must have reopened the tear. Look," she pointed in between the machine, a still visible tear in the center of it. "The tear still leads back to Columbia. Plasmids, Vigors...he and Fink must have been in communication...sharing secrets. Like the Luteces, before they were physically together." She turned towards her compatriot. "What does this have to do with Sally?"

"Nothing for the moment at least." Dante confirmed, starting to circle the machine in inspection. He then thought back to the model of the Columbia building. "But think about this: how are we going to get out of here, all the while fulfilling our bargain?"

Elizabeth thought for a moment, frowning as she did so. "I don't know."

"C'mon, think. Columbia is a _flying_ city and if we're _below_ Rapture."

"The Lutece particle. We use the Lutece particle. If it can make a city float-"

"-it can make a prison rise." Dante finished, raising both his hands for a high five which Elizabeth gave in return.

"Wait," Comstock spoke up, realizing something else. "Couldn't Elizabeth just use the tear to get the particles needed?"

Dante shook his head. "Well there's a reason she can't just use it."

"I don't follow."

"Think of tears like windows. Now if you bring a sledgehammer to a wall and make another, there'd be a stud where you're hitting it. When Elizabeth got there, it was pure luck that she was on the right side. But in the case of Columbia we'd jump through and fall to our instant death."

The older man just gave him a look of confusion, causing Dante to groan in annoyance.

"Think of it like taking a jump and knowing where you're going to land and compare it to a blind leap of faith."

"That makes sense, I suppose."

Elizabeth decided to continue her and Dante's brilliant idea, ignoring Comstock completely. "We could use this device to go to Columbia and find a particle. But it's been vandalized…"

"You'll fix it," Comstock tried to be encouraging, though his voice gave away his apprehension.

"Oh, sure. You know, my tower didn't come stocked with the Lutece device repair manual," she snarked, taking her frustration out on them.

"You will fix it," Dante cut in, sounding the most confident out of the three.

"Yeah, I'll just-"

Dante took Elizabeth by shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "Elizabeth. You will fix it."

Elizabeth nodded after a moment, repeating that to herself before looking Dante in the eye again. "Okay...okay, there must be some information around here. Let's split up and search. This place can't be that big."

Comstock elected to stay behind while the two of them went upstairs to search, stating that he could stand guard while the two people who actually knew what they were talking about could maybe find what they were looking for. Upstairs, the place was of course abandoned, bar some chalk boards and more pictures of Colombia. Dante took note of an audio log, taking a second to listen to Suchong's ramblings about something interesting.

"_Problem: Big Daddy will not imprint on the little brats. Yet Fink succeeded in imprinting his disgusting bird on his subject. How has Fink, this stupid man, succeeded where Suchong failed? If Suchong could obtain hair sample of Fink's subject, Suchong could determine delta of genetic material with Little Sister! Proof is in DNA pudding_."

The only takeaway Dante got from this was how much of a fool Yi was, but made sure to keep the imprinting detail as a side note for later. It took several minutes of searching before coming across a diagram for the device in which Suchong's writing was in margins.

Elizabeth listed off the strange markings on the sheet of paper, noting that most of them were elements on the periodic table. "These are elements - sodium, titanium... Why would these be on schematics for- It's hydrogen is A, and iron, the 26th element, is Z…"

"Didn't you need a code key, or-"

"It's right here." She pointed out the word "Suchong". "Never underestimate the fallibility of th egomaniac. Looks like a punch list for things Suchong needs to fix the machine: a cold cathode tube...a carbon dioxide scrubber...and a heatsink. Any of the vending machines should have the cathode tube, and we can look for the CO2 scrubber in the bathysphere showroom - a lot of models should have them. A heatsink…"

"Comstock has that covered with Old Man Winter." Dante checked off. "So that leaves just the scrubber and tube."

"That'll work. Time to find those parts...and then we just have to repair the most sophisticated piece of technology ever created. Simple, huh?" she commented to Dante, trying to lighten the mood.

The duo head back down to find Comstock had swapped his carbine with a shotgun. Heading towards the door to leave, an alarm was set off, gates came down from the ceiling, trapping them. Didn't help there was a turret pointed their way as a certain voice came over the radio.

"_Penalty for vandalism of Suchong device is death. Even for pretty lady._"

"I suppose you'd be Suchong?" Dante addressed the scientist, raising an eyebrow. "Save your ammunition, your device doesn't work."

"_Device work! Vandals sabotage! You are vandal!_"

"Actually, we intend to fix your device." Elizabeth chipped in. "That is, unless you plan on coming down here and doing it yourself."

"_It...not prudent for Suchong to return to lab._" There was hestiance in his voice, as if he was hiding something. "_You say you can fix?_"

"We broke your code, didn't we? Now, just give us the one to open that door and we'll see what your creation can do.

"_1-2-1-6._"

"Your birthday?" The couple said simultaneously, then looked at each other in surprise.

"_Enough talk. Fix machine."_ The scientist snapped in annoyance, the alarm turning off and the gates rescinding.

"How'd you two know that?" Comstock asked.

"Never underestimate the fallibility of the egomaniac." Elizabeth answered smugly.

"Besides their birthday, only other code someone like him would use is 1-2-3-4-5." He got an odd look from the ex-Prophet. "Trust me, some people are stupid enough to use it, even for their luggage. Now," he said, clearing his throat and looking ahead purposefully. "Where are we headed next?"

"Since I already have Old Man Winter, we don't need to go searching for it," Comstock said, eyeing Elizabeth warily in case she decided to go after him for speaking up. However, she simply nodded in agreement, not paying him much mind.

"Right. We need a cathode tube, which we can find in any old vending machine. The hardest part is going to be the CO2 scrubber, which can only be found in the Bathysphere Deluxe. It's a fair trek from here to there, but we can pick up the cathode tube on the way, so it'll be our last thing."

Both Dante and Comstock nod, and the trio set off to complete their checklist.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

On their way to the Deluxe, they come across a door leading to what seemed to be a safehouse. Dante knocked on the door, one of Atlas' followers looking through the peephole.

"Atlas sent us here for some Old Man Winter."

The man gave the trio a good look before scoffing. "You three haven't been around here long, have you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"'Cause you're the only one of us who don't smell like the reptile house at the zoo." He opened the door, letting the trio through before sitting back on a chair. "Now, be quick about it - and just take the Winter! This ain't the goodwill."

The trio headed downstairs, taking note of a couple more guys and a smorgasbord of notes pinned to the wall before running across a vending machine.

"There, that one- it'll have the cathode tube." Comstock pried open the machine before Elizabeth reached inside and grabbed the wanted part. "Got it. Now all we need is a CO2 scrubber."

Before heading out, Dante grabbed an Old Man Winter from nearby and gave it to her, which had Comstock raises an eyebrow seeing as he possessed the Plasmid.

"Extra defense." Dante simply stated, nothing that Elizabeth decided to snoop around and was holding up a clipboard with a message in morse code on it.

"Hmph...looks like someone's been decrypting a code. _We've confirmed completion of the ace in the hole. Suchong has it, but unlikely to give it up easily. We'll update when we know more. _What's that all about?"

Dante shrugged, although he knew exactly what it was about. She'd find out herself soon enough. Comstock's shrug was far more sincere, taking the clipboard away from her and examining it himself.

"An Ace in the Hole is usually what they call someone's strength or a loophole they like to exploit."

"Yes, but this makes it seems like the Ace they're talking about is a solid thing. Something other than that."

"Ah well. It's not our business, is it? Let's just find those things and deliver them to that Atlas fella. The message was coded for a reason, after all."

Elizabeth frowned, and then scowled as she realized he was right. It pained her to say it, but whatever the Ace was, A) wasn't their business, and B) they had more important things to worry about right now. She sighed, putting down the clipboard so that it balanced precariously on the edge of the table, and walked away. Dante took one last look at it, knowing what it would hold, before following.

A sudden noise made them all stop. It sounded like it was coming from upstairs. Elizabeth paused, tiling her head to hear the noise better. Dante quietly got out his weapon and Comstock did the same. They proceeded carefully upstairs, Dante going in the front while Comstock brought up the rear. Needless to say, Elizabeth was less than pleased with this development, but she could hardly complain, considering they were positioning themselves to be at the forefront of the danger should there be any trouble.

There was indeed, as it turned out-three splicers, coming from seemingly nowhere and bent on hell. One swung a lead pipe of sorts at Dante's face, but he easily dodged and put a bullet in the offending lunatic. Comstock stepped out from his place behind Elizabeth and shot the same splicer twice in the head, effectively killing it. The last one tried to run only for both defenders to put it down. After gathering more ammo, they trio headed for the bathysphere shop, being careful not to cross the Big Daddy.

Once they got inside the shop, Elizabeth stated, "Where there's bathyspheres, there's bound to be CO2 scrubbers…"

"And why's that?" Comstock inquired, mostly since he took elevators and express transports to get to wherever he needed to. He didn't trust those fancy new technologies, and it would be that he was kind of right to.

"If you don't remove the carbon dioxide from the air supply in a submersible, you'll suffocate. One thing I did like about Rapture: lots of new books to read…" She shook herself out of her daze. "We'll need a long-haul bathysphere, something where the CO2 buildup would limit the submersible period."

"I think I might have just the thing," Comstock said, stepping in. "I don't trust these new advanced technologies, mostly considering how many fatalities arise from them, but if we're looking for a bathysphere that can stay underwater for the longest time possible...the Stingray. Submersible time of ninety minutes, and it has the lowest fatality rate so far." He stopped at Dante's odd look. "What? I may not fancy them, but they're kind of hard to ignore when they're advertised almost everywhere, including on every channel."

"Fair enough," the hybrid relented, leading the way to the elevator.

As they file into the elevator, Elizabeth sighing and pressing the button, Dante looks at her worriedly.

"You okay?"

Elizabeth begins to nod, but then thinks better of it, knowing she could never lie to Dante. "This...Atlas. I'm gonna have to kill him. Either that or he'll kill me."

"Maybe so."

Elizabeth sighed, anxiety buzzing underneath her skin. "I can't do this. Not alone. I'm nobody special. Just a whole lot of book-learning...and a handful of lockpicks."

"I certainly don't know anyone else who can rip a hoel in time with just her pinky finger. You have advantages Atlas has never even dreamed of-if it comes to that, we'll not only be ready, but we'll have the upper hand. All thanks to you."

The trio exited the lift and find an old-timey submersible in front of them. Elizabeth pointed to it, explaining to Dante. "'The Humpback Whale'...this thing's as old as the hills. Strictly bargain basement, you gotta wear an O2 tank and a mask. You won't find a scrubber on that." Proceeding forward, she pointed out another bathysphere. "Oh, a '52 Mako. Classic...but it's a deathtrap. Twenty-eight known fatalities related to its use...carbon dioxide poisoning...and they're still on the market."

"They're steeply discounted, though." Comstock commented.

Dante just rolled his eyes, this wasn't the worst he's seen in terms of selling people their own coffins but it came close. Hearing voices of splicers, they got low as they glance around the corner to see a sub hanging near the ceiling.

"That's our girl."

Dante whistled slightly. "All the way up there," he commented uneasily.

"The grease monkeys had to get it up there somehow," Elizabeth shrugged. "Just gotta find the controls. Probably a switch around here somewhere." She then proceeded to use Peeping Tom to scan around the area. "I count almost ten splicers and a Frosty, we're not just going to sneak past them."

"Then we'll have to fight," Comstock said simply, cocking his gun, and for once Dante agreed with him.

"Hate to say it, but he's right. You said it yourself-we're not going to just sneak past them. Luckily, you've got us. We'll provide a distraction while you go and find the switch. Look upstairs through that door." He points, and she nods. She casts Peeping Tom on herself and slips away while the remaining two ready their weapons for attack.

The shooting began just as she got near enough to the door, she managed to unlock the door via sonic and went in. She decided to conserve the Plasmid, passing by lockers and hiding from splicers who were rushing to the sound of battle, till she came across another slip of paper with morse code.

"_Attempt to retrieve ace in the hole from Suchong unsuccessful. Ryan Private Security killed three of our men in the bargain. Will need to explore alternate method of obtaining ace._"

Deciding to inform the other two later, she proceeded towards the control room all the while knocking out a nearby splicer. She got up to the lever and looked through the window, seeing the firefight was starting to wind down. "This is going to be noisy…" Elizabeth pulled the lever as the bathysphere was lowered down to a suitable level. Splicers were seen trying to make a b-line towards the control room, only to be shot down by either protectors. With the shooting ceased, she made her way to the sub, jumping in and pulling out the scrubber from under the floor. She grinned, pleased that she was successful with little incident, and made her way back to the others. Said duo were none the worse for wear, but were a little scuffed up be it from bullet grazes or near meetings with a knife.

"Got it," she said, brandishing it so that it caught the light. "That was the last of it."

Comstock looked at it curiously, but didn't say anything about it, instead choosing to focus on the bigger picture. "Now you think you can manage the repair?"

Elizabeth scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Sure, I've been fixing quantum field generators since kindergarten," she muttered sarcastically.

With all pieces obtained, they make their way back the route they came(dispatching a couple of splicers along the way) and took another elevator ride up. As they did, a familiar Irish voice came over the radio.

"_Any progress, mates? I must confess, I'm becoming a wee bit skeptical_."

"Remind us: why are we supposed to care?"

Atlas chuckled darkly, and the sound sent chills down Elizabeth's spine. "_You see, me lads have taken a keen thirst for ADAM. And there's a vintage right in front of me that'll do nicely._"

Elizabeth's tone became dark, her face clouding over. "If you kill her, I hope you are truly happy living down here. Put down roots; start a family. Or maybe you think Andrew Ryan is gonna ride to your rescue."

Atlas considered this. "Fair enough," he finally decided. "But remember: there are fast ways to harvest Little Sisters...and some very slow ones."

On the way back through the Bathysphere Deluxe(after tranqing a few Splicers along the way with a new arrow she came across), Elizabeth found another coded note in said place. She decoded it quickly, frowning as she did so. She relayed the previous message that she had found to them before reading this one out loud.

"_Whereabouts of the foreign bitch scientist unknown. Ryan presumes she's dead but our guess is she's gone underground with the Little Sisters. Options on obtaining the ace are dwindling._"

"Whoever they are, they're sounding desperate," Dante noted vaguely, not wanting to give the ending away.

They found the final note in a clinic, while they were heading back to the Lutece device, Dante suggesting they get some supplies for Colombia. After finding it, Elizabeth decoded it quickly before reading it aloud.

"'_Atlas, the heat is on. Ryan knows something's up and is sending men to investigate the department store. Suggest you lay in supplies at the Manta Ray lounge and prepare for a siege._' Hmm, looks like there's something in the Manta Ray lounge worth investigating. Should we?"

"Yes," Dante said immediately. He knew what they would find, and he wanted Elizabeth to find out herself.

They altered their path once again, heading for the Manta Ray lounge. Just a quick little detour before they got back on track with the mission. Comstock was in an odd mood for most of it, but finally he couldn't take it anymore and had to ask.

"Why not just kill me and be done with it?

Elizabeth, if she was surprised by the question, didn't show it. She looked at him, but shockingly, the usual coldness wasn't there, replaced by lukewarm uncertainty. "You had to know why. You had to know that you deserved it."

"And did I? Did I deserve it?"

Elizabeth, instead of responding with well-deserved outrage or yelling at him for his past crimes, was silent, before saying, quietly, "I suppose we all do...one way or another."

They find a strange countertop arrangement deep in the club-three empty wine bottles arranged in a neat row. Elizabeth recognized them immediately.

"Those bottles...just like on the coded note to Fontaine... help me arrange them."

They did, and as soon as they were inside, Elizabeth froze. Inside was a dressing room with all manner of men's makeup, wigs and outfits of varying degree.

Elizabeth took in the implications of this and gasped as she realized what it meant. "Fontaine and Atlas...son of a bitch…" She turned to Dante. "Did you...?"

Dante put a finger on his lips as he took the radio from her and stored it in a nearby dresser. Once it was closed, and he was sure no one was eavesdropping, he said, "Somewhat. Took some deduction, but it was pretty easy to figure out. Fontaine dies, and all of a sudden this Atlas character shows up, opposing Ryan just like Frank did and stealing his supporters too. Also, if you put a picture of Fontaine and Atlas side by side, it's really easy to see that they're just the same person but with added hair and an accent. Seriously, for such an accomplished con man he's kind of lazy with his disguises."

"And you didn't tell me this sooner..._why?_"

"He was kind of listening in? This is the first real chance I've gotten. I wasn't intentionally hiding it from you, you know."

"I would think we had plenty of opportunities before now to tell me that the guy we were forced to work for is a _crime lord_."

"Guys, does it really matter now? There's nothing we can do about it now, and knowing his identity doesn't really help us fight him."

"_Shut it, Comstock!_" the duo said simultaneously, but then Dante sighed.

"He's kind of right-I hate to admit it, but he's got a point. If we reveal that we know who he actually is, there's no way he's going to let us out of here alive. Granted, he already wasn't, but now he'll take extra measures for us to not be alive at the end of this. Having him know that we know is just more dangerous for us."

Elizabeth grumbled for a moment, but she finally relented. "Alright, fine. You're both right. Happy now? You still could have told me earlier."

"Well, forgive me. We were a bit busy. Now, since we're technically still busy, let's get the radio and fix the Lutece device so we can get Sally and get out of here."

Eventually, the trio returned to the Silver Fin, talking as she placed the parts, explaining what she was doing as she did so.

"Now we won't immediately die of CO2 poisoning the moment we turn the thing on," she said, plugging in the CO2 scrubber. Next, she added the cathode tube, securing it. "Well, it's not the proper phosphor frequency, but...it'll do." Finally, she stepped aside, gesturing for Comstock to use his Old Man Winter on the heat sink above. "Okay, that should stop it from overheating. There...everything's fixed. We're ready."

Dante backed up a good few feet away. "Let's fire it up and see."

Elizabeth flicked the switch, backing up herself when the device sparked and fizzled, showering sparks on all of them. Fortunately though, it eventually subsided, revealing that the Lutece device worked, showing a portal to Columbia.

"Open sesame."

"What'd I tell you?" Dante smirked.

The trio enter the tear reappearing back into Columbia inside, of all things, the First Lady, where it appeared to be docked in Finkton. Even Lady Comstock's dress was still present, meaning their arrival was before the confrontation with Daisy.

"It can't be this easy." Elizabeth stated, looking around the room before spotting a button and pressing it. "The First Lady Mk. II was built around a particle lift system, just like all the buildings in the city. I read all about it in the "Columbian Scientific." The particle is seated at the top of the structure. Must be up the lift."

Said lift arrived as the trio boarded it and proceeded up towards the next deck.

"Seems like a lotta technology just to float an airship." Dante turned to Comstock with an inquisitive look. "Ever heard of hydrogen?"

Elizabeth interrupted, not giving Comstock an opportunity to speak in his own defense. "The First Lady Mk. _did_ run on hydrogen, and it was destroyed by a single bullet from a Vox sniper. Unfortunately, the Prophet wasn't onboard at the time." She spared a glance in the ex-Prophet's direction, and then continued on. "If we take the active particle, then the First Lady is just a 40-ton paperweight. Best to take the spare." She did so, easily lifting it out of its holder and storing it elsewhere on her person. "Now let's head back through the tear."

"You honestly expect Atlas to honor his side of the deal?" Comstock asked suddenly.

This caused Elizabeth to pause for a moment. "No...but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"How do you plan on handling Atlas? He ain't just some spliced-up maniac."

"He'll make a mistake," she defended. "We just have to be ready to take advantage of it when it happens.

They return to the tear, still mulling on that question, and Elizabeth was about to open it before Suchong's voice was heard from the other end.

"_Pretty lady not finished yet._"

Elizabeth scowled incredulously. "What? Open the tear!"

"_Power for device very expensive. Tit for tat._"

"Just tell us what you want." Dane groaned.

"_Suchong want something simple. Lock of hair._"

"Oh, you're not serious." She nearly almost stamped her foot in frustration, but held herself back. Seriously? This idiot wanted a lock of her own hair? Why didn't he say something about this earlier is anyone's guess.

"_Not your hair, stupid!_" Suchong shouted, angry at being interrupted. "_Fink has secret lab. Mothballed, forgotten. In there, hair sample. In jar. Cannot miss. You get for Suchong, then everybody friends._"

Dante decided to step in, sensing that if Elizabeth had to answer another one of his questions, she would blow up. "Where is his lab?" he asked.

"_Closed off, past Fink's quarters. You smart, you find._" The doctor signed off as Elizabeth growled angrily.

"Should have seen that one coming."

Comstock looked at the space where the tear had been, confused, before he seemed to understand. "Wait, we need to get into Fink's quarters, yeah? I know where the place is. If we can find out where we are now, I could probably find a route to get us there."

The airship shakes as a sound of an explosion was heard nearby.

"We must've arrived right in the middle of the siege." Dante examined, peeking his head outside to see if anyone was nearby.

"That means the other us' are probably still in the factory…on our way up to the First Lady." Elizabeth surmised, looking around and finding a one handled bag and strapping it onto her person.

"And what happens if we run into ourselves?" Comstock questioned.

"We won't."

"How do you know that?"

"Because we didn't."

The trio headed toward Fink's office, but found the door barred up, so they decided to crawl into the nearby air duct. Before long though, they saw on the other side two people blindfolded and bound to chairs. It was none other than Fink and his son, all the while Daisy Fitzroy and the Twins of all people were having a conversation.

"I've taken your counsel, and you done me good service," the leader of the Vox thanked but paused for a moment. "But I will not hurt the boy... I will see Fink and Comstock burn, but I will not hold the son to account for the deeds of his father."

Rosalind shook her head, turning to her partner wearily. "You've misunderstood us"

Robert nodded, gesturing to the child. "We neither asked you to harm the child-"

"-nor did we promise that yours would be the hand that would set Comstock's world afire," Rosalind finished.

"A famous man once said-"

"And a famous man shall say-"

"_I may reach the mountaintop..._"

"_...but I fear I shall never visit the valley below._"

Daisy look between the two of them, confused at their unusual behavior, but that did not take precedence in her mind at the moment. Ever the realist, she was focused on the bigger picture. "But...you mean I won't live to see the-...No."

Rosalin shrugged. "It's up to you what matters more."

"Your part in the play-" Robert started.

"-or the play itself," Rosalind finished.

"Someone is coming."

"She'll arrive a girl."

"She must leave a woman."

"And what makes the difference between a girl and a woman?"

Daisy stared at them, again confused by their unusual banter, but after a moment's contemplation, she looked at them again in a new light. "Blood."

Robert nodded. "Your part in the play."

"Or the play itself," Rosalind repeated.

Daisy shook her head. "Turn her into a killer, how?"

Robert turned to his sister. "Give the girl no choice-"

"-and she will be forced to make one." Rosalind faced Robert, and a few moments later, the lights flickered, signaling their departure. Daisy looked around the room, incredulous at the fact that they simply disappeared, but shook her head when the child cried out again.

Elizabeth was still for a good few moments before a nudge from Dante got her attention. She turned to him, startled, then shook her head, moving forward with the other two following her. She didn't speak all throughout the vent system, and it was only when they got outside that she did, mostly to herself but loud enough that Dante could hear.

"I can't believe they did that. I can't believe she did that."

"You didn't know, hell, I didn't know." Dante reaffirmed, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I _know _I didn't know. None of us knew. Obviously that's not what's wrong here, or what I'm upset about." She took a breath. "I swear, next time I see either of them, I'm punching them in the jaw. Either one. I'm sorry, I just-I need a minute. Give me a second to remember how to breathe."

Dante nodded, taking a few steps back away from her, Comstock following suit. Comstock shot Dante a worried look, a bit apprehensive considering their history.

"Uh, I know it's really none of my business, and I'm probably the last person that should be asking, but is she going to be okay?"

"She'll be fine, just give her some space." Dante confirmed, checking around for any signs of Vox or Founders. "Then again, why _should_ you care? It's you she hates over everyone else."

"I'm not sure why I do," he admitted after a moment. "She certainly has every right to, and I can't say I truly blame her. But it's...disturbing."

"To be fair, it was a destiny trap. Can't change history if you're apart of it."

"I suppose."

Elizabeth regained her sense after a few moments, breathing deeply before turning to the two men. "Okay. I'm calm now. Or at least I can breathe. I still have some very strong feelings about this whole thing, but at least I don't feel like I'm about to scream. Let's...let's keep going."

The trio managed to either sneak around or silently take down Vox members as they made their way towards the businessman's private quarters. They saw four doors all with signs above them: Sleep, Work, Leisure, and Prayer.

Elizabeth's mouth slashed in a grim line. "Fink," she said, shaking her head. "I hate this place already."

Comstock raised an eyebrow. "A giant clock? I always knew that man was a bit off his rocker, and I've certainly seen weirder, but…?"

Elizabeth shook her head, pointing and the individual sections. "Sort of...looks like the mechanism unlocks certain activities when Fink gives his blessing."

Comstock waited for her to continue, but she didn't. "So…what? We're stuck waiting for the cuckook to go off? We'll be here for hours."

"Would this work?" Dante spoke up, holding out what seemed to be a crank for winding the clock.

Elizabeth stared. "When did you get that?"

"Found it in there," he nodded towards the door labeled Sleep. "Figured it had to do something with the giant clock and opening the door to Fink's lab."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, incredibly skeptical. "When did you have time to slip in there, grab it, and come back out? We _just _arrived."

"I can be _really_ quick when it push comes to shove."

"Sure. Well, anyways, we have the key now. We can manually wind it and open whatever door we please."

Comstock shook his head. "Sure seems like a lotta work to lock down a few doors."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Yeah, well, we all know if there's one thing Fink loves, it's a lot of work."

They opened the lab with the clock crank, and Elizabeth stepped off the platform first, prompting the two to follow her.

"Now, to get that idiot his lock of hair," she grumbles, stepping into an elevator that would take them up. As the elevator descended, they could hear the other Booker speaking with Daisy. Elizabeth frowns as she listened to the conversation.

Booker was almost growling into the phone. "Fitzroy. Listen, I got you your guns. I'm here for my airship."

Daisy responded with as much malice as she was receiving, and the trio were surprised to find they could hear what she was saying. "But _my_ Booker DeWitt died for the Vox Populi. You either an imposter...or a ghost."

The lift continued to silently pass by the "other" Booker and Elizabeth as Daisy continued on. Once the sound of their voices were drowned out by the surrounding machinery, Elizabeth started feeling… reflective, for lack of a better word, or phrase.

"I miss him," she whispered to Dante suddenly.

"I'm sure…" Dante paused, making sure Comstock wouldn't overhear him. "Booker would miss you too." He took her hand into his as he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

The trio continue to infiltrate deeper into the workshop, taking down Vox and coming across more proof that Fink and Suchong were collaborating. One being a dead ADAM slug that was prepared for dissection. Getting deeper into the laboratory, was it then the earlier scene with Daisy and the twins came to Elizabeth's mind.

"Daisy sacrificed herself...set me up to kill her, to-to turn me in - to turn me into what?" She asked out loud to no one in particular.

Dante decided to answer anyways. "A killer."

Elizabeth scoffed. "Yeah, well, mission accomplished. I'm no martyr. How did you do it, Booker? How did you-"

Dante stopped, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Elizabeth...I'm not Booker."

Elizabeth looked at him sadly. "And neither am I."

They made their way into an observation wing of the lab, going inside via window, and in a display case was a prototype of a Big Daddy suit and Songbird with sketches off to the side.

"Seems like Fink and Suchong were sharing their research." Dante observed, taking a look at the sketches and showing Elizabeth. "Here, take a look."

She took the pages herself and studied them closely, frowning. "Like the Luteces," she observed. "Cross-reality collaboration…"

"_That's _where he got the idea…" Comstock said suddenly, having wandered off while the two science geeks were convening. Elizabeth, upon hearing his voice, turns to look at him, but he's not looking at them or the papers-instead, he's watching a projection that is flashing images of a Big Daddy. "Songbird," he explains when he sees them looking to.

Elizabeth watches it too for a few moments, nodding eventually. "It all makes a kind of sense...the Little Sisters and the Big Daddies...Songbird and me. Fink and Suchong copied each other a lot, didn't they?" she asked Comstock.

"I honestly don't know a whole lot about this," he admits. "I was never really involved in the science department, thought I did know that Fink was working with an outside person. He did say it had something to do with your Tears, but that's all I really heard of it."

Elizabeth accepts this explanation, even if she doesn't wholly believe it.

"Constants and variables," Dante makes a point of mentioning.

They continue forwards until they reach downstairs, where they find a dead ape hooked to a machine and, after pulling a lever, a small female effigy. Elizabeth lets out a small gasp as she realizes what it is she's looking at, and shakes her head.

"I can't believe it. Well, actually, I can, considering the kind of scumbags you invited to your precious city. But it's still so...grotesque."

Dante didn't exactly understand what he was looking at. "What is all this?"

"Imprinting," she explained. "That's a wire mother. If you separate a gorilla from its real mother, it will imprint on almost anything...even that. The poor thing...it must have starved to death when the scientists fled the place."

Dante was still confused. "Why would Fink care about that?"

"Songbird," Elizabeth realized with a jolt. "He...you...wanted him to imprint on me." She turned to Comstock, frowning deeply, but it was more confusion than anger.

Comstock cleared his throat nervously. "Well, if I recall, that was a problem we solved."

Elizabeth tried to glare at him, but the effect was lost by the sadness and regret in her eyes.

They moved on, passing by another chamber holding a dead lion with a mask over its face, before passing by a table that had a piece of paper Elizabeth picked up. She frowned, inspecting it closely and muttering to herself before showing it to Dante. Comstock noticed the two conversing and decided to butt in.

"What's that?"

Elizabeth showed him the formula, not really expecting that he would understand it. "It's a skeletal formula for...oxytocin. That's the chemical that bonds mothers to children, women to men, and-"

"Songbirds to little girls?"

Elizabeth gave him a confused look, wondering why he wouldn't know what made her and Songbird connect. "Apparently not. Fink dismissed it as an unsuitable vector. How come you don't know what bonded us?"

"I told you before, I was never much of a science person. I put other people in charge of those things. If they told me something didn't work, I believed them, and when they told me something did, I took their word for it. Never thought it would be an issue."

Elizabeth placed the paper back on the table frowning. "Hm."

Walking into the next room, they saw it was filled with massive tanks full of dead dogs floating in a solution that Dante could guess was probably formaldehyde. Elizabeth gasped when she came upon it, touching a hand gingerly to one of the tanks.

"These poor things," she whispered sadly. "Fink couldn't get them to imprint...so he left them to die. That's...that's not fair. Why…"

"Men like Fink justify it as the progression of science," Dante answered grimly. A small part of him was glad that Fink got his comeuppance, but knew it was pointless to wish ill upon the dead. He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Bad people exist, Elizabeth. You and I both know that very well. Sad as it is, there's nothing we can do for them now."

Elizabeth looked very much like she wanted to protest, but she didn't, instead allowing Dante to lead her away from the room of horrors. They continued until they came across a blackboard that showed a silhouette of both Elizabeth and Songbird, but was crossed out with red paint.

Elizabeth read the words, but then did a double take. "Wait. 'Imprinting failed.' That can't be right. Clearly they formed a connection between Songbird and me."

Comstock looked at the figures, nodding along to what she was saying. "Everything on this board is technically right-I mean, the figures they've used and everything are technically correct, and the solutions are correct, but. Clearly, they're wrong."

"How?" Dante asked.

Elizabeth shrugged, at a loss for words. "I was so young, I...I always remember him just being there."

Turning the corner, they came to another room and saw through the glass was a part of a Songbird, still moving around while looking at a screen that flashed images. Elizabeth startled when she saw it, but relaxed when she realized it wasn't the real thing.

She studied it closely, noting the lack of a body. "It must be a prototype or something."

Dante looked at the screen and back at the prototype before theorizing, "Looks like they were using a form of hypnotherapy."

Comstock raised an eyebrow, once again painfully oblivious to the inner workings of his own science department. "On the Songbird? How'd that go?"

Elizabeth scoffed. "About as well as you'd expect."

Going farther, and through an air vent, they come across another abandoned room, with a projector in the middle just waiting to be played. Elizabeth pushed the button and a short video played. The words SONGBIRD IMPRINTING ON SUBJECT appeared before the actual film. Songbird was there, laying on the floor of what Elizabeth recognized as her tower, and his mouth hose was loose, flopping around like crazy around him. A young girl entered the frame, and Elizabeth gasped as she realized that the little girl was her. After a few moments, the younger Elizabeth, hesitating slightly as she moved towards the creature, reconnected the mouth hose and waited. After nothing happened, she came up to him trying to open his palm, but nothing happened. After that, she turned to walk away, but as she was leaving, his palm opened up, and she ran back, jumping in it. Sonbird's wing covered over the two as the film finished with the word FINIS before the projector stopped.

"Dante...the little girl in the film, it's me. My god...I re-...I remember, he...he was... He'd crashed into the tower. I guess he was in some sort of fight... I waited there, thinking...thinking, I don't know, that something would happen, but...he just...lay there...moaning. I couldn't just-"

"A lion with a thorn in its paw. So much for science," he whispered back, casting a slight glance at Comstock, who was watching the film curiously.

Elizabeth shook her head, suddenly infuriated. She turned off the projector and stormed away, the others having no choice but to follow her. "I should have just left him there to die," she told them. "I should have just... I will never escape it. Exploited. Exploiting. Me, Comstock, Booker, Sally. It's like a wheel of blood, spinning round and round."

Dante walked up behind her, giving her arm a gentle squeeze, before saying, "I know how it feels. Being exploited for someone else's gain, feeling like I was in a giant wheel that only got faster but never went anywhere. The feeling of being trapped and death inching ever closer towards me. It took me a little while to cheat it, but do you wanna know how?"

Elizabeth nodded, ready to hear anything that would make her feel even the tiniest bit better.

"An emperor once asked a shepherd's boy, 'How many seconds in eternity?' And the shepherd's boy says, 'There's this mountain of pure diamond. It takes an hour to climb it and an hour to go around it. Every hundred years, a little bird comes and sharpens its beak on the diamond mountain. And when the entire mountain is chiselled away, the first second of eternity will have passed.' Now you must think that's a hell of a long time. Personally, I think that's a hell of a bird. The relevance is that there's always a way out. If not around, if not up, then through it. And we will get through it, Elizabeth. The circle will be broken."

Elizabeth didn't respond verbally, but she did nod, squeezing Dante's hand and holding for a second before letting go. She turned to Comstock, but he wasn't there-instead, he was over at a small section of the next room, at a table with the words SUBJECT'S PERSONAL EFFECTS written in black font on a yellow background above it. There were drawings of Songbird, one of her teddy bears, and most importantly, whatever Comstock himself was holding.

"This here says 'hair sample'," he explained, passing it to Elizabeth when the duo rejoined him.

Elizabeth grabbed it, inspecting it and scoffing in disbelief. "I can't believe he sent us all the way back here for a sample of my own hair."

Dante shrugged. "He doesn't know you were once the child that imprinted on Songbird. But to him, all the answers lie in DNA. Men like Suchong mistake an ounce of empathy for a pound of science."

They moved into the next room where there was a switch for the quarantine shutters at a control panel. As it opened, they could hear voices of Vox soldiers approaching

"It's open! See if anything's worth reappropriating. Check for stragglers! Spread out!"

Double checking their armaments, the two protectors went ahead and took down the members, Elizabeth helping by knocking out or darting any of the ones that tried blindsiding them. When all was said and done, they made their way back to the lab elevator, with very few oppositions in their path. The ride and the walk back to the tear was quiet, somewhat tense whenever they managed to dodge Vox, but in the end they made it back just to see the First Lady flying off and the tear right in front of them.

It opened and from it, Suchong's voiced echoed, "_Pretty lady has the hair? Deal is deal. Bring it to Suchong._"

The tear opened before them, allowing them to return to Rapture's Silver Fin. As soon as they enter, Elizabeth and Dante find themselves missing the light and fresh air, but their minds are soon taken off of that as the ground shakes.

Suchong's voice came over the PA. "_Pretty lady put hair sample in tube. Then business is finished._"

"What's going on out there?" she asked.

Suchong hesitated before answering. "_Bloodshed...violence...but not relevant to our arrangement._"

Elizabeth looked at Dante, who shrugged, and she placed the sample in the pneumo tube in front of them. As soon as the light turned green, all the lights and monitors in the area dropped out.

"Suchong! Suchong, we had a deal, now open-"

The lights come on as a projection of a certain face appeared and a voice spoke. "Do you know what they call someone who enters a man's home uninvited? A thief."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"We had a deal with Suchong," Elizabeth demanded of the man, not at all afraid of who she was speaking to. Her voice was cold and sharp, knowing exactly what she wanted and where to strike to get it. Unfortunately, the man whom she was speaking to would not be swayed by normal means.

"_Yi Suchong is my employee. It was not a deal he was authorized to make,_" Andrew Ryan responded cooly. He wasn't too pleased with how he was being spoken to either. His voice was calm but determined, strong and elegant, and he realized that he might have found a match in this mystery woman and her friends.

Elizabeth sighed, already impatient. She had never met Andrew Ryan, preferring to stay away from the types of clubs and parties he usually favored, but she supposed their meeting was inevitable. "What do you want?"

Ryan did not pause for thought, delivering his pre-prepared speech quickly but with a strong note. "_I granted Atlas and his thugs asylum. You serve those same men in a desire to escape from my generosity. If they shall not have asylum, then they shall have liquidation. Give a parasite an ounce of charity, he'll demand a pound_."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, already bored with his theatrics. "We're just looking for a girl that was taken from us. A Little Sister."

Now Ryan did pause, seeming to think for a moment on how best to win them to his side. "_I don't claim to understand what you are...but I know that you are special. There is business we can do together. And so, I give you a choice: work for me...or die with Atlas._"

"We're not going anywhere without that girl," Dante stepped in, giving Elizabeth a small break in the conversation. He could tell she already disliked Ryan even more now, and they hadn't been conversing for even a minute yet.

"_If it's a Little Sister you want, that shouldn't stand in the way of commerce. I've got dozens of them."_

Comstock stepped in hastily, perhaps afraid that the other two would take the deal, even though they never would have. He didn't know them that well, if he thought that they would ever. "No thanks. This one is special. I-we-won't leave without her."

Ryan sighed, absorbing this new information, and coming to a decision quickly as to what to do about it. "_My men stand ready to take down the door. In 60 seconds, they will enter the room. They will either treat you as a valued employee of Ryan Industries...or as a thief in the night._"

The conversation ended as abruptly as it had begun, Andrew Ryan's tones echoing throughout the small space ominously. The trio immediately began to scramble, checking every exit and entrance into the diner and making sure they were the only ones that could go in or out.

Comstock swore under his breath, cocking his weapon. "Sixty seconds."

"There must be a half a dozen of them or more. We've gotta get ready," Elizabeth said shakily.

"We can use Plasmids as traps and seed the room with them." Dante suggested, scanning the layout of the room before pointing at Elizabeth. "You gotta find somewhere to hide and surprise them, help take them down one by one. They'll underestimate us. People always do." With that, they got to work laying down traps.

Ryan's voice came over the PA again, cold and already dripping with the tone of victory. Even before the battle had begun, he was assured of his own victory. Dante, at least, was determined to prove him wrong. "Forty seconds. You know what I see on your face? Uncertainty. Who is this girl to you? Thirty seconds. Do you know the value of the shark? Without them, the sea would be littered with-"

_**BIZZZT**_

Ryan voice ceased mid rant and mid high moral ground boasting, as The PA cut off while Dante pocketed his sonic screwdriver. "That's enough out of you," he told the sizzling screen.

"Thanks," Elizabeth said, as she passed by. She reloaded one of her weapons, nervously waiting for the inevitable.

After several seconds of laying down traps, stocking up on Eve, and generally just preparing for the assault, they were ready, and a good thing they were, because as soon as they all sat down to wait, the doors burst open and Ryan's security team came in, looking for them.

"Spread out! Search the area!" somebody, presumably the chief, called out to his men, and they scattered, following orders. They all raised their guns in unison, pointing them forward with the intent to seriously injure or kill as they searched for their quarry. The first soldier almost immediately died as soon as he gets ahead of his comrades, exploding very violently in a shower of sparks and lava. The others scrambled back, suddenly cautious of where they were stepping.

One of the more foolhardy members of the group decides to proceed anyways, stepping around an Old Man Winter trap and charging ahead straight at Comstock, who is prepared to shoot him anyways had he not fallen victim to the Shock Jockey trap in front of him. He convulses violently, and Comstock shoots him, causing him to explode in a shower of deadly sparks. Another charges forward and gets caught in the Old Man Winter trap that the other had avoided. Dante shoots that one once and he shatters into a thousand pieces.

_Three down, six to go,_ thought Elizabeth from her hiding place. She popped out with a shotgun as one of the men nears her position and shoots him in the face, blowing his head off. She didn't see any point in hiding behind the counter anymore, since her position was now compromised, so she joined the other two in defending their position. There were more traps seeded along the entrance to both stairs and still one more trap along the entrance, though it was shifted to the side so that they wouldn't immediately step on it.

Dante shot another guard in the chest, moving out of the way when he tried to return the favor. He made up his mind to try and lure this one, still lurking near the entrance, into the last remaining trap while Comstock dealt with another one, headed towards Elizabeth. He manages to maneuver the man until he's almost on top of the Devil's Kiss trap. He nudges him with the barrel of his gun, and the man disappears in a shower of lava droplets.

Comstock finishes two more off with simple brute force, and Elizabeth manages to take another one down that had gotten too close. Three more to go. Comstock throws a Devil's Kiss at one that's trying to get the drop on Dante, and the hybrid barely manages to get out of the way of the fireball in time. One more. Dante sees another one crouching behind a countertop, waiting for his moment to strike, and he throws an Old Man Winter in his face, freezing him solid. Elizabeth, who is nearest to the man's hiding spot, takes the liberty of shooting him over the counter and shattering his corpse.

Dante was about to warn the others that there was one more straggler before he was interrupted by the sound of a teleporting splicer behind him. He turned, only to have to duck as a firey fist swung at him. "Fireman!" he called to the others, a tad unnecessarily as he shot this one in its weak spots. It didn't take long to put him down, but as he turned to see how the others were faring, he realized that there were two more to be dealt with, and each member of his team was dealing with a different one. Comstock was holding up well enough, but Elizabeth was struggling. She kept trying to dodge and weave his attacks, and she was actually getting the hang of it until he threw a punch at her face, which she failed to dodge, and she crumpled to the ground. Comstock took over before Dante could, finishing off the fireman and helping Dante move Elizabeth out of immediate danger.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Comstock asked, and Dante was surprised to hear actual concern in his voice.

"I don't know," Dante admitted, fairly worried himself. Elizabeth had survived worse, he knew, but that knowledge didn't stop him from caring about her and worrying. "Probably. But we can't assume. That was a nasty punch. She'll probably be out for a while-we need to patch her up and then move her somewhere safer. Somewhere that Atlas won't find her."

"Why?"

"I know this is a lot to ask, but trust me. It's for the best. We'll move her to Fontaine's secret makeup room. I know it's a bit far, but it's the only place she'll be safe. Or…" He suddenly realized that he probably shouldn't divulge his new plan to him, at least not fully. "There's one more, a regular splicer," Dante told Comstock, changing the subject. "He can't have gone up the stairs because that would have triggered the traps, so he must be down here."

Comstock nodded and went to look for him. Dante decided to look around as well—the sooner they found him the sooner they could get out of here and shove it in Ryan's face. Comstock was the one who eventually found him, hiding in plain sight in the shadows and waiting for his moment to blow one of their heads off. Comstock beat him to the punch, shooting him in the face.

"We beat your sharks, Ryan," Dante called out to the broken PA. "The better man won. Isn't that the only thing you respect? Now let us the hell outta here."

"_Sounds like all hell's breakin' loose out there! What's your plan?"_ Atlas' voice spoke through the radio, accent clip and irritated.

"We can't just place the particle on the ceiling, it would just tear right through it. But…" Dante whipped out the blueprints they'd acquired earlier. "Every building in Rapture was submerged into the ocean on a lunette ring connected to the junction of its load-bearing supports."

"_That's fascinatin' and all, but if you haven't noticed, Ryan's sent his goons to murder us! If you're gonna pull a rabbit out of a hat, now's the time to do it._"

"There's a structural junction is in Frank Fontaine's office. If we can get there, the building will float."

"_It so happens I've taken that bastard's office for me own use. I'll make sure you've access to the private elevator. Now hurry!_"

"Of course you did," Dante muttered under his breath. He then attended to Elizabeth, patching up her wounds and making sure she was as healthy as she could be before gesturing to Comstock. "I'm going to carry her-you cover me. Got that?"

"Shouldn't be a problem." Comstock loaded up his carbine and lead the way. Dante scooped Elizabeth up in his arms bridal style, hefting her weight easily despite all appearances, and beginning to make their way out of the lab.

The trio waded through the ongoing battle between Atlas and Ryan's forces, taking down any of them that got in their way. With very little munitions left, they managed to return to the Manta Ray lounge.

They stopped when they overheard a splicer talking to his companions, warning them. "There's supposed to be a brunette...traveling with an old man and a younger man. Anyone seen them? Look around! The rest of Atlas's crew are barricaded up that elevator shaft. When the backup arrives, we'll go in and take 'em out easy."

Dante placed Elizabeth down behind some cover before unstrapping his tommy gun. "How's this for easy?" he said before opening fire on the squad, using a mix of vigors alongside it before a minute or so passed and both bullets and EVE ran dry. Dante dropped his spent weapon before catching sight of himself in the mirror. A cut was above his left eyebrow, the right shoulder of his jacket was torn and there was a tear on both pant legs. Aside from that, he was covered in dirt, grim and blood. If those who knew him well were here, they wouldn't be surprised. Straightening himself out, he picked Elizabeth back up and went over to Comstock who'd just reopened the secret door. The older man stepped aside before Dante laid her down on the ground, using his jacket as a makeshift pillow.

"Are we just going to leave her here?" Comstock asked.

"For the time being. We're not just leaving her here, she'll get picked up. I have some...shall we say friends. She'll meet up with us soon."

"If you say so. I suppose I've got no option but to trust you."

"You don't. I got one last thing to do, mind if you wait by the elevator?"

"I don't particularly. Just hurry it up." And with that, he exited the room with one last glance towards Dante and Elizabeth, making his way to the elevator and scavenging supplies from the dead splicers.

Dante grabbed a nearby recorder and gave it a quick listen. It was Fontaine yelling at Suchong at where his Ace was. No surprise there. Rewinding it, he erased the previous message before hitting the record button. Once he was finished, he placed the recording right next to her before kissing her on the lips. Whipping out his sonic, he sealed the secret room so that no one else could get in before heading to the elevator. Comstock pressed the button as the lift made its decent.

"You know Atlas is going to-"

"I know, and I'm ready. Not my first double cross."

Comstock nodded, but he was still skeptical. "Are you sure?"

"I came here to make sure Elizabeth was safe. Now that she is, I'm ready for any curve Atlas or Ryan can throw us."

The elevator doors opened as they enter the office. Dante checked the ceiling and found the structural supports are all intact.

"There, there, there." He pointed at the supports. "All the load-bearing columns come into this room, and they meet...they meet there." He pointed at a model of Fontaine's Futuristics. "Just need to place the particle in that junction, activate it, and the whole structure should rise. There's no Plan B so...might as well just get it over with." Climbing up the model, he pulled out the particles before placing them into position. "Well, here goes nothing'."

He stepped up to the large scale model of Rapture itself, in the middle of the room. He climbed the model until he was near the top, then he activated the particle and let it fly towards the ceiling. The cylinder of particles flew itself up to the ceiling and wedged itself into the support. The building, as expected, began to rise from the seabed.

"It's working, Atlas," Dante said into the radio, as he held on tightly to the structure. "You feel that? Now, you have your prison break. Now bring us the girl."

He hopped off the model, only to see Atlas' men are had surrounded him and Comstock was knocked out on the floor.

"Of course."

"_Didn't your mum teach you not to put your faith in strange, foreign men?_" Atlas said over the radio, smug and dangerous.

Dante just stayed calm and collective. "Just give me the girl. She means nothing to you."

"_You've got that right - the girl means nothin'. But you, boyo...you mean the world._"

Before he knew it, Dante felt something hit the back of his head before his vision went to black.

_**XxxxX**_

Elizabeth woke up to someone fanning her face, standing over and talking to her. As she regained consciousness, she realized that she, in fact, was not the one being spoken to...and yet, the voices overhead sounded all too familiar.

"_I still can't believe we're even considering this,_" a female voice spoke, sounding indeed none too happy about what they were doing, whatever it was. Her voice was watery, although Elizabeth realized that that was merely due to her own returning consciousness.

"_We're already doing it,_" the voice directly above her counters, continuing to fan her face. _Is _that a fan? "Oh, look," the man says, as she returns to full consciousness. "She's awake."

It's Robert Lutece. He _is _fanning her face, after all, but he's not paying attention to her anymore. He's talking to someone else, someone she realizes is Rosalind, his twin. He isn't paying attention, so now would be a good time to punch him in the face for that whole Daisy thing.

"You can try," Robert says absently, "but you won't land. It's not your fault-it's just our quantum superposition. You understand."

"I do," confirms Elizabeth. "And I also understand that you two set me up. For what? Why?"

"To teach you a lesson."

"Still, an incredibly dickish thing to do. Wasn't there some better way, or something? What lesson?" She still hadn't moved from her position on the floor, and she didn't intend to for a while.

"That not everyone can be saved and that the world is not perfect."

"Oh, of _course _that's exactly what you'd say. Well, _I _say it's a pretty crappy lesson. What's your damage?"

"I believe this was meant for you," he said, pulling something out of seemingly thin air and abruptly changing the subject. He handed her a tape recorder and left to rejoin Rosalind at what she now recognized as the TARDIS console. So she was in the TARDIS, then? But where were Dante and Comstock? She decided to play the tape to find out. The name on the tape was Frank Fontaine, but she doubted that was who the message was from.

"_Elizabeth, by the time you hear this, Comstock and I will be gone. You were blindsided by a splicer, so don't be mad at me. It will be awhile before you're awake, so we're going to finish up our deal with Atlas. We know it's a trap and we know the risks. Then again, so did you, before...He...he's the one who murders you. If I hadn't come along, and if I'd let you kill Comstock, then he would have. That's the real reason why I came back. Well, that, and I did miss you. If we get somehow get out of this, I'm going to show you the whole of time and space. If not, then remember me by having a good life. Do that for me. Have a _fantastic _life_."

Elizabeth sat there for a long time, taking in the rush of information that had been given to her. Atlas had killed her, before? Before Dante had come to Rapture. He had come back to save her from that horrible fate. But how had he known? How had he been able to see what she hadn't? She supposes she can't ask him now. But…

"Why am I here?" she asked the twins, finally standing up. "Shouldn't we head back now? Or...can't we travel to the future, after it's all over, or something? I can't just leave them."

"Don't fret, they'll be fine for the time being," Rosalind piped up. "For now, we have instructions from Mr. Price, and we're only doing this because we agree with it."

"And we owe him," Robert chipped in, looking pointedly at his sister. "It's time you became reacquainted with...shall we say, a familiar face."

"Who?"

"You'll see soon enough."

_**XxxxX**_

The first thing Dante saw once he regained consciousness was very dull light through the burlap sack on his head before it was removed and a pair of fingers snapped in front of him, disrupting his thoughts.

"Where is the ace in the hole?" A thick, accented voice asked in a low tone.

Dante said nothing, opting to look outside the window at the statue of Ryan. He knew what he was being asked, he knew what would be done to get the information out of him, but he wouldn't say anything until he had to.

"Where's the ace in the hole?" Atlas asked again, looking at him with a dangerous glint in his eye.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Look, we had a deal-"

A sudden punch made Dante go quiet, if only briefly, the younger man flexing his jaw in pain but otherwise unbothered, something that did not sit well with Atlas himself.

"Where...is the ace...in the hole?" he asked again, visibly more frustrated.

Dante decided to remain silent, knowing the moron in front of him wouldn't listen. Said moron just nodded his head and stepped out of view as a hand with a syringe was put in front of his face, and then a different moron waved the syringe in his face some more.

"Sodium thiopental. Are you familiar?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. It's truth serum. Too little, nothing happens. The right dosage, however, can make anyone sing like a stool pigeon."

"Very good. Now I'm still messing with the dosage, but," He stuck Dante with the needle into his arm and pushed the plunger. "Let me know how this works."

Dante's vision blurred as he then felt like plunged into a bottomless pit.

Falling, still falling, he looked around to see...nothing. No light, no earth or gravel, nothing. Before he could dwell on it further, he landed hard on his back. He looked around in the darkness before seeing a pulsing light illuminating a familiar blue box. Nearing it, he opened the door and saw the console room...morph for lack of a better word. From the corral design, to the white room design and the "silly" design, all before settling on his preferred default. A strange noise was heard in the door leading to the corridor that lead to the rest of the ship. Bypassing the console, he went into the long hallway and starting walking before he heard a cracking sound. Turning around, he saw a skeletal hand shoot up from the floor as another followed as the figure climbed up wearing a fedora, a brown coat and a long multicolored knitted scarf. It's head rose up, a bleach white skull with blank black sockets for eyes, looking directly at Dante. It raised a bony finger finger at him before it breathed out: "_**No more**_."

Before Dante could react, more skeletons started popping out from the ground dressed in certain garb. A frilled smoking jacket, a multicolored coat, a cricketing outfit, a beaten brown leather jacket with a bandoleer, and more all erupted from the earth. In the end, thirteen dressed skeletons were all staring down at the young man before shambling towards him. Dante had only one thought on his mind: run. So he did, running down the winding corridor before running into a dead end. He turned to face the shambling corpses, digging through his pocket before finding his sonic screwdriver, before pointing it at the closest one and activating it. It caused the skeleton to explode, leaving nothing but marrow dust and the clothing. He proceeded to do this to the others before none were left standing. The light around him dimmed before going dark as he and an illuminating white figure were the only ones in each other's vicinity. Said figure shifted to that of a familiar person wearing a blue dress and white corset. She looked at him with a happy sad expression and before he could utter a name, she pushed him as he fell into a multicolored abyss. Looking around, he saw that he was falling through the time vortex in its nearly purest form. He continued to fall before his vision went to black and he knew no more.

_**XxxxX**_

"Does this place happen to have a bath and a wardrobe?" Elizabeth asked eventually, after replaying the message a few times and observing the Luteces doing...well, whatever they were doing. Rosalind looked very bored milling about in the TARDIS, while Robert was observing everything with nothing less than the greatest interest. She herself decided to lounge in a corner, thinking to herself and ignoring the two after her attempt to punch Robert had indeed failed. "I'd like to freshen up if possible."

"First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left," Rosalind mentioned as she passed by Elizabeth for the umpteenth time is several minutes. She seemed to be pacing, for whatever reason. They'd already landed where they were going to several minutes ago, but neither of the twins would let her out yet. They weren't too intent on telling why, either. She began finding herself annoyed but nodded and followed Rosalind's directions.

Twenty minutes later and she was not only freshly showered, she had found a very simple but classy number in the wardrobe-a striped short sleeved shirt with two shades of light blue and dark blue contrasting. She'd thrown on a black jacket over it as well. The shirt was tucked into her pants, which were fastened with a belt that was more there for style than anything else. Her pants were a light blue, going down past her knees but stopping not far from them. She'd chosen for her footwear a pair of converse sneakers, though they wouldn't have become popular until over twenty years from now.

"Can I leave _now_?" she asked the nearest passing twin, which happened to be Robert. He nodded, abandoning whatever task he'd been doing and leading her to the door. "Can you at least clue me in on who I'm supposed to be meeting?"

"I'm afraid not," Robert said, opening the door for her, and she stepped outside, took a good look around, and then turned back towards the TARDIS, but it was already gone. She sighed, turning towards the door, but before she had a chance to knock on the hauntingly familiar door, a voice said, "Come in…?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Elizabeth whirled around at the familiar voice, dread and anxiety swirling around in her stomach as she realized exactly who that voice belonged to. She turned and came face to face with none other than Booker DeWitt himself, staring at her with haunted, tired eyes that had seen too much. When he looked at her, he did not seem to recognize her, inspecting her in an odd, suspicious light, and his breath smelled of whiskey and cigarettes. Even knowing that he was not the same Booker who had rescued her from Columbia, she still felt an odd, sad feeling in her stomach when she realized who this actually must be. The Booker who had lost his Anna, the one she had tried to save but had ultimately ended up not making a difference.

"Do you...want something, miss? I'm open for business, unless...you're here for another reason?"

"Another reason?"

"I...was...well, I've just been waiting for someone, is all."

"I don't suppose a pair of smartly dressed but incredibly condescending twins told you that."

"Maybe." He took another long look at her, looking at her from a detective's point of view. "Your clothes, I've never seen anything like it. Women around these parts don't typically wear stuff like that, and probably won't for a long while. Your hair is pretty short, for this day and age, and I'm not sure what kind of curls you're wearing but I've never seen any women wearing them. Your makeup is off, women in the 90's don't wear it like that. And those shoes-I won't even begin. You're not from around here, that's for sure. So, you're probably here to see me. Are you Elizabeth?"

"I am. I don't suppose you know anything about me, though. We have a...history of sorts," she admitted, looking past him into the apartment and frowning when she saw the various arrays of empty liquor bottles and cigarette cartridges strewn about. The stench of nicotine hung in the air, making the young woman wrinkle her nose. There wasn't much furniture inside, a desk in the middle of the room with various items piled on top of it in a very disorganized mess. A chair sat behind it, but aside from those things, there was literally nothing else.

"They told me some things," Booker says, returning her attention to him, and only now does she realize that this Booker is definitely not the same one she had been rescued by-of course, she had already technically known that, but now she realizes that his memory is not the only thing that is amiss. He looks far different than when she had last seen him-his basic features are the same, yes, same jaw and eyes and hair-but his face looks younger. The crows feet at the corners of his eyes are gone, the lines and slight wrinkles on his middle-aged face have disappeared, and the rough stubble on his jaw is no more.

He _is _younger, she realizes-he had called this the 90's hadn't he? Not 1990's, she realizes with a start. _18_90's. Sometime past 1893, no doubt. When had he had Anna? What age? She does some mental math, searching the universe quickly for a short answer, and concludes that he must be in his early twenties right now- her own age. She's the same age as her own father? That...is weird. But things were about to get weirder.

"What did they tell you?" she asked apprehensively.

"Quite a lot, actually. They told me about...some city, floating in the sky. Columbia. They told me about you, a little bit-didn't say much, said I'd know you when I saw you. Well, I'm seeing you, but I still don't know you. Anyways. They told me about this...history you're talking about. Can't say I believe most of it, but a couple things make sense. Only a couple, though. They said...well, I'm not sure you know, but. I have-had-a daughter. Her name was Anna. They said there was a way to get her back. You'd help me?"

"Actually…" she hesitates, wondering how to phrase this, but after seeing his crestfallen expression she decides, screw it, and blurts it out. "I'm Anna. Not-not your Anna, not the one you lost, but...I am her. I am your daughter. In a universe where I survived, and only lost my pinky. I'm from the future, obviously, but..."

Booker stares at her for a long time, perhaps trying to decide whether or not she's off her rocker. If she's insane or not, or if those insane twins who caused all of this were telling the truth. Finally, he reaches out a hesitant hand to touch her face, but pulls back at the last moment. "Are you real?"

"I'm real enough," she replies, and that simple phrase brings back memories she's not sure she can handle right now.

"But...how? I'm-I'm not so sure I believe you..."

"If you'll let me in, I promise that not only do I have an explanation, I have proof. It's going to take a while, though, so you'll have to be patient."

Booker looks extremely hesitant at first, blocking the door with his body at first as he gives her yet another once over. Finally, however, he seems satisfied, nodding once and stepping aside and allowing her inside. Once she was, and she had quickly briefed him (not on too much, of course, but just enough for him not to be freaked out), she opened up a Tear to the Sea of Doors.

_**XxxxX**_

Dante's senses began to clear up as he felt the surrounding area shake and the sound of an explosion went off. He saw in front of him the outline of Atlas in shadow smoking a lit cigarette.

The man took a drag from the deathstick before exhaling out smoke and saying, "A week."

"What?"

"You've been down a week, boyo. Feckin' doctors. Better off hirin' a million monkeys." He tossed the cig aside before walking into the light within Dante's view. "Didn't help that you were blabbing notin' but utter nonsense. Not even gonna bother repeatin' it."

While Dante was curious what he said while DIU, he had a more pressing matter to bring up. "Look, our deal was to get you out of prison. What, you expect me to win your war for you, too?"

Atlas just scoffed and shook his head. "Now, being that you were Suchong's lab assistant and all, why not tell me where me ace in the hole went to."

The younger looking man said nothing, causing Atlas to tsk and shake his head. "I'm no doctor. But that doesn't mean I don't find the field fascinatin'...I keep up on all the medical journals and the like."

Dante scoffed, surprised the lunatic in front of him could even read. "I hope you have someone to help you with all the big words."

"You know what part a the brain freewill comes from? Stubbornness? The prefrontal lobe. Now, I think it's fair to say: you're a bit of a stubborn one, are ya not?" He went over to an open box and pulled out a long, needle-like pick and a ball peen hammer. "Man named Steinman taught me this. He's a bit of a lunatic, but a fine surgeon. He calls this little trick a "transorbital lobotomy." Take hold of him, lads."

Two men came from behind and held Dante firmly down. "You're wasting your time." He gritted out trying to squirm but stopped once Atlas brought the pick over his eye.

"Now, if you won't remain still, I can't be held responsible for what comes next."

What did come next wasn't even close to the pain and agony Dante had gone through, but it was a close second. His vision began to act up as he could feel the needle being pushed near his prefrontal lobe.

"Here we go...you feel that? I'm moving...the pick...across your eyeball...oh! Still now - and restin' it on your skull. There's about a bit over a quarter of an inch of bone between the pick and your pre-frontal lobe. And that," He held up small mallet over the end of the pick. "Is where this little fella comes in.

Atlas lightly tapped the pick, causing Dante's vision to go blurry momentarily.

"Now that was just a wee tap. But I don't expect it'll take more than a few of those to reach the meat. And then we might find you a bit less the mule. Where's me ace in the hole?

"I don't know."

"You know what else rests in the lobe? Creativity." Another tap. "Individuality." A third. "Personality." A fourth. "In short, what makes you you." Atlas smirked devilishly. "Ah...I'm just about through now. Last chance, boyo. Where...is...the ace...in the hole?"

What happened next, Atlas did not expect. He started laughing. It started as a chortle, then a chuckle and then full on laughter for the next few seconds before being faced with a grim grinning face.

"Or what?" Dante asked mockingly. "You'll put a hole in my head and take away my memories? You want to make me forget all this? You want make me not care anymore? C'mon then, _boyo_."

Atlas knew his point was valid and that turning him into a drooling vegetable was pointless as he growled in frustration. He swiftly pulled the pick out of Dante, causing him to grunt in pain. "Bring in the monster!" Atlas then punched the hybrid across the face. It was here Dante noticed that Atlas broke character and could hear Frank Fontaine. "You're a regular hero, ain'tcha? Can't risk rippin' the only part of you that's worth a damn. Well, there's more than one way to fry an egg."

A gurney was then wheeled out in front of the two with Sally strapped to it, struggling and pleading to be let free. Atlas hovered over her, managing to mask his Brooklyn accent.

"Now, little one, are you familiar with the term _transorbital lobotomy_?"

Before he had chance to raise the needle, Dante blurted out, "Suchong's clinic! It's at Suchong's clinic."

Atlas gave Dante an inquisitive look, pleased that Dante had given up so quickly. "That's a bit convenient, now. Ryan's got every turret in the place tuned to me and me men's genetic code. We'd be torn to shreds before we gotten feet."

"That's right. Which is why we're gonna do it for you. Me and the old man. You alright with that?" Dante looked around to see any sight of his partner. "Speaking of which, where is he?

Atlas turned to one of his men. "Get the old man." He turned back to Dante. "Get me the ace, I'll wrap the brat in a silk ribbon. Bag'em and bring them to my bathysphere."

The burlap bag was once again thrown over Dante's head as he was lead to his destination. It wasn't till he felt the reasurgance that the bag was removed as he and Comstock were pushed from the submerseval. Dante turned to see Atlas giving him a smug look.

"One a the lads'll show you how to get inside. We'll be waitin' for you both where you come out. Shake a leg, now. The Lord hates laggards."

The submersible sank back down into the depths below as the duo made their way up to a counter. Dante gave himself a quick pat down to find that he still had his sonic, but other items were missing. Guess they were busy emptying out his pockets while he was under. There was a man whistling a tune as he just tilted his head to the way behind him. Just before they proceeded, Comstock noticed a bat on the counter. He quickly took hold of it before knocking the man upside the head before jumping over the counter and began to beat the goon down. Just before he was near to killing the man, the bat was snatched out of his hand by Dante who gave him a stern look and said, "We're better than this."

Comstock relented, only getting one last slug in before stepping over the beaten unconscious man as the two went into the depths of Suchong's Clinic.

_**XxxxX**_

"I...remember...Elizabeth—Anna—I remember it all. You, Comstock, Columbia, the Luteces, and...everything."

"Well, that was the point, so I'm glad. All jokes aside...I'm glad. To be honest I wasn't 100% convinced that it would work, but it did."

"It did," Booker agreed, nodding and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I...thought, after you'd erased Comstock, that you wouldn't exist anymore. Like the others, or so you told me. Last one left, it seems. I've missed you."

"Last one left," she agreed, a bit sadly. "I've...missed you, too."

They settled down in Booker's apartment, where they had returned after their multiverse jaunt. They swapped stories about what they'd been up to, mostly taken over by Elizabeth since Booker was still coming to terms with being a relatively new person. She told him of how after she'd drowned him, thereby destroying every version of Comstock across the multiverse, she'd found out that there was one that got away. She told him of her life in Rapture: being hired as a singer, rubbed shoulders with the elite and made some good friends. Admittedly, she didn't like most of it—just a different set of fanatics with a different set of ideals. She told him about her plan to get rid of Comstock and how she'd done it, only to fall short when she realized that she'd not only had help but said help was still in Rapture.

"You know," Booker began, taking advantage of her momentary silence to talk about something that was bugging him. "You look an awful lot like your mother. I see it now—same eyes...jaw...nose...hell, she even used to wear her hair the same way…" he pointed at each individual feature on his own face as he talked, but Elizabeth wasn't listening.

She was still hung up over the fact that she had completely forgotten about her comrades in the effort to make her father remember himself. She eventually stopped him mid-rant to tell him of this, frantically standing up and pacing as she does so, mumbling to herself.

"I need to go back," she said to herself, as she paced. "I have to go back to Rapture."

"Wait, what? Rapture? Didn't you just escape from there? Why would you want to go back?"

"Sally. That's—the girl, she—Booker, she's in danger. Dante and Comstock, they're trying to help her now, but Atlas has got them locked up or—or something, maybe worse. I have to help them, I've got to save them, and her."

"Elizabeth-I won't let you do this-"

She turned around, ignoring him, and opened up a tear to a tornado, stepping aside to let the winds whip around and the strong, brutal force of them nearly destroy the furniture in his apartment before closing it, staring her father straight in the face. "Really, Booker? What are you going to do to stop me?"

Booker sighed, standing up and shaking his head at his daughter's theatrics. "Honestly, Elizabeth, the tornado is a bit much now. I was _going _to say, 'I'm not going to let you do this alone.' I thought we'd been over this before. I'm with you, wherever you go."

Elizabeth nodded, closing the tornado tear a bit sheepishly, and turned around, away from him. She didn't say or do anything for a couple of moments, until she sighed impatiently and called out to seemingly no one, "Lutece! We're ready! Are you coming or not?"

_**VWORP VWORP VWORP**_

A breeze picked up as a blue British Police Public Call Box materialized in the room, a _**DUN DUN**_ filling the air the moment it landed. The door was opened by a redheaded man, who could be heard arguing with someone inside the police box about...well, Elizabeth couldn't really tell, they were talking so fast. No matter, though, because Robert's attention was quickly stolen by the two people he had come to pick up.

"Ah, Miss Elizabeth. Ready to brave the dangers of certain death and mildew once again?"

"I suppose I don't have a choice," Elizabeth said, already walking towards the TARDIS. "Come on, Booker. It's perfectly safe, I promise."

"If you say so." He started to follow her, eyeing Robert warily as he approached the door. He stopped just short of getting in, sizing him up and down and thinking. Well, it hadn't worked before, so why should it work now? Still, he was going to try. He readied his fist, bringing it up in one swift motion and punching Robert square on the jaw. The force of it caused the other man to stumble back a bit, and Booker, satisfied, climbed into the TARDIS. Once he walked in, while befuddled, Booker felt a sense of deja vu wash over him. Then again, it could be the side effects of the tear journey.

Robert, meanwhile, was rubbing his jaw, standing by Rosalind and conversing with her in hushed tones. Elizabeth moved closer to them while pretending she wasn't so she could hear. Robert sounded very distressed, and she wondered if it was about her, but as soon as she heard she couldn't help a chuckle.

"Are you _absolutely certain _that was necessary? I haven't been punched in forever. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever been punched in the face. It hurts."

Rosalind was not as sympathetic as Robert would have liked her to be. In fact, she seemed to be slightly enjoying herself. "Well, don't look at me. You're the one Comstock sent to get the child. It's only fair you'd be the one he wanted to punch. And if he hadn't been able to, I imagine the rest of our time spent with him would have been spent, on his part, trying to succeed where he otherwise would have failed."

"But _letting _him punch me? Surely we could have dealt with the mild irritation of him trying to maim me. Just for a while."

"Brother, it's only a mark. Would you have rather he tried to shoot you again?" She ignored his continued complaints now, turning towards the control of the ship and punching in the directions for Rapture. "Now, quit your whining. We have actual work to do."

_**XxxxX**_

Dante and Comstock were snooping around the clinic, finding full suits of Big Daddy armor and even finding the damned hair sample they delivered. They walked into a back room to find an injured Big Daddy slumped near two Little Sisters. Comstock, at first, stepped back rapidly, pulling Dante with him as he went so as not to upset the Big Daddy and have it turn on them. As they inspected it though, they realized that it posed no threat-it would seem that somehow, it was docile.

One of the girls pointed at the monster, whispering, "Scary…"

"Let's see here what we could do-" Dante started to approach the Big Daddy, Comstock staying back a ways away, only for the two girls to shout at him in frantic tones.

"Scary!"

"Mr. Monster is mean!"

"Scary!"

"Stay away from him," warned one of them, the second one. She huddled closer to her friend.

"He's scary!"

Dante raised his hands up in defense of both him and the "monster". "It's okay. He can't hurt anyone," he said softly, trying to placate them, but they weren't having it. If anything, his words only made them more afraid of the metal brute.

"Scary…"

Fully approaching the Big Daddy, Dante tried to help the creature on its feet only to be met by moans and a violent jerk. Dante startled back, holding up his hands in surrender.

"C'mon, can't you just move a little bit?" He pleaded.

"Scary…"

"No, he's just hurt," Dante said, looking at the girls again. He wished they'd stop saying that one word. He then looked at Comstock. "Go see if there are any notes around."

The older man nodded and went off to find them, returning several minutes later did with two clipboards. "They're coded like the others. Think you could read them?"

"Yeah, yeah, give 'em here." He took the clipboards and looked over the first one and read it aloud. "_Big Daddy will not imprint. If not imprint, what good is he to Little Sister? She no like him. He no like her. Situation is impasse. Unacceptable_." He then read the other one. "_If stupid beasts had half brain, they would realize they need Little Sister to live. Sister secrete only kind of ADAM that is genetic match for them. No Little Sister, no Big Daddy_." It then clicked in his head as he turned to the two girls. "Hey, the big guy here needs ADAM. Think you can help?"

The two girls cautiously approached the Big Daddy, as one stuck the other with the syringe before sticking it into the Big Daddy. After a few moments, it got back up and was in working condition. It held its hand out towards the two who, while hesitated at first, started climbing on it like a jungle gym.

"The lion with the thorn in its paw." Comstock breathed out as he witness the scene before him, drawing a parallel between this and Elizabeth with Songbird. With the impediment out of the way, the duo continued to search the back rooms before Dante found a note.

"_Suchong - of all the things I know, I know this. It is in your power to be a different man. What can Ryan take from us that we have not already sacrificed on the altar of discovery? They are children, Little Sisters, and, yes, they will forget. But you and I won't… The memories of what we have done fade only with the dimming of all lights. -Tenenbaum_. '' Dante shook his head.

Their ears perked up as they heard the sound of Suchong's voice. Following it, they came to a two mirror, though the scientist took no notice of them. Dante listened to what he was saying and realized something was about to happen, something fairly historic event in Rapture, and something he'd actually wanted to witness himself for a long while. Like clockwork, the Little Sisters from beforehand along with the Big Daddy entered the room. They started to bother the scientist as Suchonng grew more and more aggravated before backhanding one of the girls. This of course angered the Big Daddy as Suchong realized his mistake before being impaled with the drill and smashed into the table. This in turn broke the glass wall and the drill itself broke off from the scuba diver.

"There's the ace," said Dante simply, walking over to the piece of paper and snatching it up.

Comstock, still somewhat shaken by the brutal death of Suchong, glanced incredulously at the sheet of paper in his partner's hand. "This is it? _This_ is the ace in the hole? All the pain and all of the death for _this_?"

"Pretty much," he responded grimly.

"What does it say?"

"It says, _would you kindly_." Dante scoffed. "Funny, the most simplest of phrases turned into a weapon. Then again, words are powerful. They can create or destroy, it's just a matter of what's said."

"Right," he said, seeming to think about something before turning to Dante. "Then I say this: I'm sorry. For...you know. Everything."

"Wha-?"

_**WHAM**_

Dante hit the floor hard, his vision blurry as he saw Comstock pick up the sheet of paper and bolted. A few moments later, he got up with a start, looking around for the older man before spotting a hole in the wall near where the Big Daddy was hurt. "Oh, you have _got _to be kidding me…"

_**XxxxX**_

"Over here," an Irish lilt called out, arrogant and self-assured. Comstock looked ahead of him several feet and saw Atlas himself, surrounded by his goons, one of which was holding Sally as she tried to struggle out of his grasp. "Do you have it?"

Comstock walked forward, knowing that he was experiencing the last few minutes of his life. He eyed Sally cautiously. "I have it. Let the girl go, and it's all yours."

Atlas did not seem at all keen to relinquish his one ace just yet, but he nodded to his henchman and he reluctantly pushed the girl away. "Fine. I'm keen to get this brat off me hands anyways. Where's the boyo?"

"He didn't make it," Comstock lied easily, drawing closer now. He could see the sneer on Atlas' face, the dangerous glint in his eyes, and the uneasiness and anticipation in his stance. He was keen to get the Ace, and then kill him where he stood. That was just fine with him. He didn't have anything to live for anyways.

Atlas sighed, pretending he chad cared for an answer. "Shame, he was a clever one. Alright give it over, then."

Comstock was not fooled by his nonchalant tone. He covered the rest of the distance between them, holding out the sheet of paper in front of him as he closed in. his heart was pounding in his chest, blood was roaring in his ears, and his hands were shaking. He knew what was coming, yes, but that didn't make his less anxious. Or...afraid. Zachary Hale Comstock, afraid. Who would have thought? He closed the distance, finally, and held out the paper. He didn't have a readying quip, or a snarky comeback, as his final words. Just a resigned sigh, and complete acceptance as he handed over the paper.

"We both know what happens next. Just get it over with."

Atlas, if he was surprised by this, didn't exactly show it, raising an eyebrow and shrugging. He allowed his Irish lilt to falter for a moment with his next words. "Well...if you insist." And with those fatefully ominous words, he swung a monkey wrench into Comstock's skull, knocking him out.

Comstock, though he was unconscious, could still hear Atlas' voice beckoning him back to reality, screaming about not understanding the ace. He snapped his fingers in front of Comstock's face repeatedly, smacking him on the cheek at least once.

"What is this?" Atlas demanded, once he realized that Comstock was at least semi-conscious again. He waved the paper in his face, pointing at the coded message scrawled along the bottom. "It's just a buncha gibberish! What does this say, you bastard? _What does this say?_"

Comstock struggled to breathe, trying to form several kinds of words for a couple of seconds as Atlas continued to yell at him. His head was bleeding, he could feel it-the blood was already trickling down his forehead, the strong smell of metal overwhelming his senses. He was almost gone, he knew. "It says..._would you kindly._"

Atlas grinned, and even though he was already half-dead Comstock could see clearly that grin was nothing short of fully malicious, with purely evil intent. He shuddered to think what kind of horrors this Ace in the Hole fellow would have to endure. He hoped he made it out, and beat this sonofabitch to hell and back while he was at it.

"We've got the activation phrase," Atlas told his men, snapping Comstock out of his musings. "Now all we've got to do is get that genetic freak on an airplane, and Rapture's ours."

Comstock tuned out for that last bit, sighing heavily and breathing hard as he managed to get up on his knees. He didn't intend to walk out of there, or even crawl-but he wasn't going to die face down on this disgusting floor. The window was only a foot or so away-he could make it. He did, slumping against the window at the last moment and sighing again. He was, finally, content-Elizabeth and Dante would get out of here, probably in that fancy blue box, and they'd do...whatever it is they were going to do. It wasn't his concern. He had, in his own eyes at least, fulfilled his debt to both Elizabeth and Sally-he had saved the latter and hopefully proven to Elizabeth that he'd changed, at least a little. He was fully content to just drop dead right now, but it seemed that fate had other plans.

"Comstock?" a familiar voice called out, and oh, it was Dante. He must have woken up, then. He wondered how long he had been there-maybe he had seen the whole thing. "He got it, didn't he?"

Comstock tried to nod, but he couldn't quite manage it. Instead, he was forced to resign to using words. "Yeah," he sputtered, spitting out some blood. "He did."

"I'm…I'm sorry." Dante, for all his dislike of the old man before him, was surprised to find that he actually _was _sorry. Sure, maybe he had deserved it, but he had tired and apparently succeeded, though he saw no sign of the girl now) to save Sally. He had knocked Dante out and sacrificed himself to save them all, and unbeknownst to Comstock himself, two dozen little girls in the near future thanks to the Ace. He felt pity, as he gazed down at Comstock's bleeding head and his already distant eyes. Yes, this man had done unspeakable things in the past, but here now, he was trying to make it right. "I really am sorry. I understand why you did it."

"Elizabeth's okay, right?" he asked between heavy breaths. "Tell her...tell her this. I... I am sorry. For everything. I tried...I tried to make it right." his words are coming out in a rush now, eager to get them all out before he kicks the bucket-he has only moments now, he knows. "Maybe I did right by you and her, but in the end...I guess that don't square much, if anything. Dante...Elizabeth...I'm sorry…" he trailed off, as he took his final, shuddering breaths, before his mouth fell open and his eyes became glassy, his expression peaceful for the first time he'd ever seen. Zachary Hale Comstock was finally dead.

Dante bowed his head, finally forgiving him for all the atrocities he committed. He wasn't sure Elizabeth would feel the same way, but he would be sure to pass on his final words to his partner when they met up again. Dante leaned down, closing Comstock's still open mouth and shutting his eyes, staring for a moment before standing up and making his way out of there.

That is, he would have, if Lonnie the crackpot surgeon/Russian Roulette enthusiast hadn't snuck back into the small area to...well, Dante didn't know, but the fact of the matter is, he's back, and as soon as Lonnie had spotted Dante he flew into a rage and pulled out his gun.

He quickly tried to find some cover to hide behind, seeing as he was completely defenseless at long range right now. Dante knew if he actually had his weapons or Plasmids at the moment, Lonnie would be dead right now. But Dante didn't want him to die, not yet. Not that fast, not that painlessly, and certainly not without a lot of suffering first. This bastard was one of Atlas' right hand men, and he had done half as much as the bastard himself had. He needed to suffer, to _hurt, _as badly as he had hurt others before he was sent to an eternity of it.

Dante dodged Lonnie's attempts to shoot him in the face, ducking and dodging behind an overturned crate to wait him out. He didn't have any firearms of his own, so he was at a disadvantage. He peeked from behind his cover to see where Lonnie had gone off too. Dante did not intend for this to become a shooting standoff. This pathetic excuse for a human was not going to die without at least half a dozen broken bones. He jumped out and lobbed whatever EVE he had left into a small ball Devil's Kiss at the approximate point where he had guessed Lonnie was, and heard a yell of pain. Good. He quickly formulated a plan in his head-he would let Lonnie keep shooting fruitlessly until he ran out of bullets-then, when he withdrew to reload, Dante would attack. As Lonnie kept firing in his general direction, spouting profanities and insults, Dante bided his time. Finally, it paid off, and the shooting stopped.

He didn't waste a single second jumping out from his hiding spot and dashing over there, able to land a couple of punches into the man's face before he knew what was going on. He ducked at the last second before Dante could punch him again, and brought his own fist up to deliver a swift uppercut to his opponent's jaw. Fortunately, Dante was not nearly as dim witted as he, and not only anticipated but dodged the move, landing another punch in the process, this time to Lonnie's throat. As his adversary clutched at his throat, gasping for air, Dante kicked his legs out from underneath him and sent him sprawling to the floor. He did not give the other man any chance to recuperate or react as he stomped viciously on the man's left leg, effectively snapping the ankle. Lonnnie cried out in agony, hastily removing one hand from his throat to grasp lamely at his ankle. Dante used that opportunity to step on the bone again, now crushing a few fingers in the process and causing his victim to scream again. Dante didn't hear him.

Lonnie was lying almost in the fetal position, muttering something under his breath. Dante thought it might have been pleas of mercy, but upon closer inspection it turned out to just be more poisonous words. Either way, Dante ignored him except for his screams of pain. He kicked the man over so that he was laying on his back, and then kicked back the arm that came up to slap at his leg. Once the arm was on the ground, he quickly stepped on the wrist, breaking it, and then leaned down-and then so quick that if you blinked you would have missed it, he wound the arm around his own and dislocated it, slamming it back down against the ground. It was only after the several seconds of screaming that Lonnie decided to fight back. He jumped to his feet and swung loosely at Dante, who easily dodged.

Lonnie had almost nothing left to lose now. He threw himself at the other man, unleashing everything he had at him with punches, kicks, and snarls. Dante easily dodged almost every one-Lonnie got him a few times, but nothing too drastic or painful. He indulged him for about a minute, then furiously smashed his head into the bridge of his opponent's nose, effectively blinding him for a few moments. He used the golden opportunity to grab Lonnie's head and swing it around, throwing the man to the ground and cracking his skull. He dashed up to where the man had landed and kicked him in the face twice before jumping onto his dislocated shoulder, breaking it. He got one more kick in the face in before Lonnie rolled over and got up onto his knees, spitting out blood. He said nothing, but the look he gave Dante was clear enough in its meaning. It did not, however, have the intended effect, as blood was already dripping from various places on his face, marring what little looks he had and making him somewhat unrecognizable. Dante aimed to change that, starting immediately.

He delivered a swift punch to the man's face, kicking him onto his back and jumping on his lower right leg. He was very satisfied to hear the sickening crunch of bone underneath his shoes, making Lonnie cry out pathetically. The next time the man rose to his feet, or at least tried to, Dante kicked him in the face again, grabbed his shirt in one hand, and proceeded to beat the living hell out of his face with the other, until his fist was dripping with blood and the man who had once been Lonnie was no longer recognized as such. Dante had effectively, and brutally beat him to death. Not surprisingly, he didn't feel too guilty about it considering what the man had done.

He stood up straight to catch his breath before hearing a hesitant clap. Dante whirled around, surprised, and saw Elizabeth leaning against the TARDIS door, waving a little. He wondered briefly how long she'd been standing there, or how much she'd seen. He supposed it didn't matter.

He thought of saying something quippy, or elegant, in response to seeing Elizabeth again, just casually standing there by the TARDIS after having watched him brutally beat someone to death. Sadly, all he could think of to say was, "Hey." He mentally sighed at the comment, shaking his head minisculely as he turned fully towards her and began to walk her way. As he neared, he realized she wasn't looking at him anymore-instead, she was gazing at Comstock, frowning, though Dante couldn't really imagine why. They both knew that no love was lost between the two.

"What happened to him?" she asked, though he suspected she already knew the answer.

"What do you think?" was the cliche response. "Atlas got to him. Comstock knocked me out and took the Ace to the bastard himself, and he got killed. Wrench to the head, not a pleasant sight. He was dead within minutes. He...uh. He actually had some last words that he wanted me to pass on to you. He said he was sorry, which I guess isn't anything new, and he said that he really did try to make it right. He knew what would happen if he walked in here, and he did it anyways, so we would get out alive. He knew he did so much wrong by you, but in the end, he knew that what he'd done would never be forgiven. He just wanted you to know that he tried to do right by us."

Elizabeth, surprisingly, didn't say anything for a long time. She just looked at his corpse, not even with her usual cruel and calculating expression that she usually wore for him. She didn't look...anything, really. She nodded once, clearly concealing her emotions, and stepped back inside the TARDIS, Dante having no choice but to follow her. Once he passed the threshold, the weight of the venture took its toll as he stumbled towards the console. Leaning against it for support, he then flicked the specific switches and lever before the ship took off. It was then he took notice of the other three passengers.

Robert and Rosalind Lutece were, of course, on board, the two observing him quietly as though he were a specimen at the zoo. He was used to this, of course, and it was nothing personal-they looked at everyone that way. So nothing unusual there, other than the fact that they were chattering quietly amongst themselves, talking in rapid tones. He didn't bother with them, though, leaving them to whatever it was that they were doing, and took notice of the last occupant, eyeing him with a familiarity that he shouldn't have.

"Booker?" Dante asked, already feeling more lightheaded than he should.

"Hey, Dante," Booker, who miraculously remembered him, answered, lifting his hand in a half wave.

So his plan had worked, then-the Luteces had brought Elizabeth to the Booker who had lost his Anna, and she in turn had helped him recover his memories. Obviously he had insisted on coming along, and now here he was, and he remembered everything. Well, that's nice. Dante is sure to greet him like the old friend he is once he wakes up. Speaking of, Dante finds the floor approaching rapid fast as he falls on his face, finally succumbing to the exhaustion. He however did not feel the floor, but rather a set of hand holding him up. The last thing Dante saw before darkness enveloped his vision was Elizabeth's porcelain features, their beauty marred by worry and concern. Her blue eyes narrowed, and the expression in her face mirrored that of the various murals of her in Columbia, not happy or sad—perhaps mournful was the right word? Either way, he supposed it didn't matter, as he wouldn't be sticking around long enough to find out.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sore. That single, simple word was the only word that could come even close to describing how Dante felt when he regained consciousness. For the past week or so he'd been in firefights, fist fights, and was drugged for a good portion of it, so of course he'd finally feel the brunt of all that collapse on him. Not to mention his wrecked outfit, which was caked onto him, feeling like a disgusting second skin. A shower, a quick check up, and a well cooked meal might fix that up, though. Dante began to move, noticing absently he was in sickbay, before feeling a tug at his left side. He turned, spotting Elizabeth right next to him, holding his left hand and her head resting on the bed. He noted her new outfit, no doubt making use of the wardrobe, as well as the lack of makeup she had worn when he saw her last— she had apparently washed it off. Slightly petting the top of her head was enough to wake her, and Elizabeth stirred awake gradually. Her eyes fluttered open and shut several times before locking onto Dante, and then startling awake when she realized he was too.

"Dante! You're awake," she said, obviously relieved, and she patted his hand comfortingly. "You kind of just—collapsed, right after seeing Booker. I hope you aren't too startled by him, I just—he wouldn't let me leave him. He remembers, though, so that's good. He's waiting in the console room with the Luteces, who refused to leave until they saw you were better. Very unlike them, but they insisted."

"That means they care," Dante joked, and they both shared a quiet chuckle over that. "But seriously. They must care to some degree, or else are wanting to talk to me. Speaking of talking...I'm sure you want a few words of your own."

"I do," she admitted, a bit sternly as her eyes lost a bit of their soft glow to be replaced by a determined glint. "I do appreciate you giving me the truth, and not making me have to fight for it. I'm glad you got me out of danger, and more importantly, I'm glad you got out of danger yourself. Good thinking, hiring the Luteces. We were able to get to Booker and I was able to trigger total recall."

"Well, that's good, because that was the plan. Tell me all about it."

So, she told him everything that transpired on her end, all the while he was in Rapture. She told him of their trip in the TARDIS to Booker's apartment, the initial awkward meeting, and then her convincing him to travel through the Tears and the Sea of Doors. She told him of Booker's memory recall, and the reunion afterwards, and then how she realized she had left them behind in Rapture. So here she was, come to save them—as it turns out, only one of them. Dante listened intently, but was surprised and maybe a little worried when she didn't bother mentioning their erstwhile partner.

'She just needs some time,' Dante thought as she continued speaking. 'I'll let her figure things out at her own pace, and offer my guidance when I can.'

"So anyways," she finally finished. "The Luteces said that we traveled a week in the technical future, because of some...technicalities invoking Atlas and some crackpot doctor. Should I bother asking?"

"You're better off not knowing," Dante agreed, and Elizabeth nodded.

"Well, I'm just glad you're okay. And now we have Booker back. Though—or, maybe that's too much to ask. Yeah, maybe…" She was talking to herself more so now than Dante, and he wondered where she was going with this—but he had a feeling.

"Go on, I won't judge."

"Well—I was thinking—way before now, mind you, but seeing Booker again kind of made the idea come back full force. What if—could we possibly...check up on him? The real Booker, the one we knew. He has his Anna back, and I'm just...wondering how they're doing."

"Sure. And while we're at it," here he sat up straight, sliding towards the edge of the bed. "We need to make another stop. But before all that," he motioned at himself. "I need to get changed."

"I can imagine," Elizabeth said, wrinkling her nose. "You smell awful and I can only imagine how you feel. You _look _disgusting. No offense."

"None taken. I agree completely. Now, if you'll help me up, and excuse me. I see you've already taken the liberty yourself." He looked down and noticed her shoes, and couldn't help but smirk. "I see the shoes have grown on you."

Elizabeth looked down at her converse and smiled ruefully. "They were really the only option. You have an impressive collection. Plus I didn't really feel like wearing heels, and well...yeah, I can see why you like them. They're very comfortable."

"Of course they are." Dante stood on the floor, taking a few moments to get his footing. "Just let the others know that I'll be awhile."

"Of course. Come find me when you're done."

_**XxxxX**_

Around an hour later—equally split into taking a shower, freshening up, and picking out a new set of clothes, and then taking another quick nap—he rejoined Elizabeth in the main area. He nodded at Booker, and shared a nice few moments where they reintroduced themselves and exchanged salutations. Dante looked around for the Luteces, but he didn't see them. He looked back to Elizabeth to inquire further, but she caught on before he even asked.

"As soon as I told them you were awake and breathing, they used their fancy light trick to disappear. They told me to tell you that they'll see you again if you need them, and to please don't need them again."

"That sounds like them," Dante said with a chuckle, which Elizabeth shared. They reveled in that for a few moments before Dante spoke again. "We'll head out to do that...thing...you wanted to do in a bit. But first," he pointed at Booker, "we need to drop you back home. It's been real nice having you here, and thank you for tagging along, but, and please don't take this the wrong way, but you don't belong here."

"No offense taken," Booker said. "I get it. But, if I may say some parting words before we go."

Elizabeth nodded before Dante could respond, but he was alright with that, seeing as he would have agreed anyways. Booker nodded as well, standing up and clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Elizabeth...and Dante, too, I suppose. I...lost my daughter. Horrifically. But, through some bizarre twist of fate and luck, I have her—you—back again. I'm not ready to lose you again so soon, but at least now I know you're alive and well, and hopefully aren't too eager to put yourself back in more danger after all of this. I can handle that. But, if you ever decide you want to settle down, or pop in for a visit, say on the holidays or something...my door is open. To the both of you. You're welcome to stay whenever, and however long you wish."

"Thank you, but," Dante raised a finger. "Here's something to better the offer: why don't I relocate you a few decades ahead?"

"A few decades ahead?" Booker asked, surprised. "Why?"

"Well, a couple of reasons: most of the people you owe money to will either be quite old or even dead. Kind of erasing your debt per say. Two, there is going to be some real crap going down around here come the 30's-60's. I won't go into detail but let's just say economic crisis and wars. It'll be over by, say, the 60's or 70's, though. Plus, there's going to be quite a few marvels in those two decades."

Booker thought about it for a couple of minutes, nodding and muttering to himself. Finally, he straightened, and nodded at Dante. "Okay. I accept this offer. Thanks, by the way. How about the 70's?"

"70's it is," Dante said, nodding. "Good choice. You're missing out on a lot of the bad stuff. But first. I want to show you something. And trust me, if you thought a city under the ocean was ridiculous…" He grinned. "You haven't seen anything yet."

He crossed over to the console and pulled a few switches and pressed a few buttons. The TARDIS made the telltale sound that signaled its departure from a place, and its journey to another. Elizabeth crossed over to the console to see the destination set before it actually took off. She gave him a quizzical look, but he merely shrugged.

"You'll see soon enough," he said cryptically, that grin still on his face. "It's good, I promise. It's real good."

"Any hints?"

"No. Sorry, but I need this to be a total surprise."

Soon enough, they were wherever Dante wanted them to be, and the TARDIS landed with its trademark noise. Elizabeth looked at Dante inquisitively once again, but he just crossed over to the door and held it open for both of them. They stepped out with a little hesitation, and Booker soon became as confused as Elizabeth when he noticed where they were.

"Well, judging by the humidity in the air I'm guessing we're somewhere south?" Elizabeth guessed. "And by the console destination, of course."

"Correct." Dante called from the TARDIS, scuffling around for a couple of items that they would need.

"Okay...what's that, then?" Booker questioned, pointing in front of them. A good few miles away was a metal platform holding up a cylinder looking tower.

"That," Dante said as he closed the TARDIS door behind him. He held up a cooler and a customized tape deck for the other two to see. "That would be the Apollo Saturn V." He checked the time on his Ultramatrix. "We got a few minutes, so why don't we find a nice spot to sit and enjoy the view?"

"Dante, not that this isn't nice, but why are we here? Why are we 'enjoying the view'?"

He set both items down before opening the cooler, pulling out three ice cold Cokes and handing them to everyone. Elizabeth took the glass bottle with a great interest, examining it as if she'd never seen anything like it before. She'd seen bottled soda, of course, but it wasn't until Booker spoke that he realized what the deal was.

"_Coca-Cola?_" he said, reading the label aloud. "Do they still have this drink after all these years, or did you snatch one from the 1880's? They've come a long way since Hutchinson bottles."

"Trust me, they'll be around for a _long_ time. One hundred and thirty three years, at the least. And they're still cold, refreshing, and delicious."

"I'll take your word for it," he said, already a victim of the immense heat, and popped the cap on the bottle. He took a swig and glanced at the bottle, surprised. "Hey, this is actually pretty good."

Elizabeth had already begun hers, taking slow but big sips as she allows the cold beverage to slide down her throat. "What would you call this kind of drink? A soda, right? Can't quite nail down the taste, but it's pretty good. I'm glad these'll still be around for a while."

"That's not even the best invention to survive the ages. But enough about that for now. Right now, we're about to witness history." He pressed the button on the tape deck, and a soft acoustic began to play, followed by drums and finally lyrics.

_Ground Control to Major Tom_

_Ground Control to Major Tom_

_Take your protein pills and put your helmet on_

_Ground Control to Major Tom (ten, nine, eight, seven, six)_

_Commencing countdown, engines on (five, four, three)_

_Check ignition and may God's love be with you (two, one, liftoff)_

Just as those last words were said, the music built up just as the platform separated as smoke billowed from the bottom of the Saturn V as it propelled itself into the air. Elizabeth and Booker nearly dropped their drinks in surprise—they could not, however, stop their jaws from doing the same. Anything either of them said next was lost over the roar of the rocket, but it seemed that after a moment they were lost for words. Dante didn't blame them—he'd seen footage of this event, but it didn't compare to the real thing.

_This is Ground Control to Major Tom_

_You've really made the grade_

_And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear_

_Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare_

_This is Major Tom to Ground Control_

_I'm stepping through the door_

_And I'm floating in a most peculiar way_

_And the stars look very different today_

_For here_

_Am I sitting in a tin can_

_Far above the world_

_Planet Earth is blue_

_And there's nothing I can do_

The father and daughter duo gazed onward as the rocket continued its flight until disappearing into the sky, leaving nothing but a stream of smoke in its wake. The song itself continued but was lowered down by Dante as he smiled and took a swig of his cola.

"You two have witnessed man's first mission to the moon."

"Wait, the _moon? _You're telling me, that, that rocket is filled with people who are going to _the moon,_" Elizabeth gasped, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Three people, in fact, and yes. Yes, I am."

"Holy crap. _Holy crap. _That—that is amazing! Booker, did you hear that? Those people are going to land on the _moon_. Isn't that amazing?"

Booker could only nod dumbly, still transfixed on the rocket that had long since broken orbit and disappeared. He and Elizabeth gazed up at the sky long after the rocket was gone, still struck by amazement at the historic event they had just witnessed.

_**XxxxX**_

"Just make sure to call me when you can. _If _you can, I'm not sure about—or even how you would do that, but—"

"Booker—_Dad._"

The two DeWitts were saying their final goodbyes before Elizabeth headed off with Dante. After witnessing the launch to the moon, they had left to set up Booker's new life in the 1970's. Finding a place somewhere other than New York was not as difficult as it might have seemed. They eventually decided on somewhere near St. Paul, Minnesota, in a basic apartment complex where the walls were a bit thicker and nobody asked questions. The price of the apartment was fair, and after they'd purchased it and some furniture for the place, Booker was ready to say goodbye. He was having a rather hard time of it, however, as he still had several questions about where he had ended up and where _they _were going. Most of all, though, he was unsung it difficult to say goodbye to the daughter and friend he had just reunited with. Dante was outside leaning on the side of the TARDIS, watching the departure with slight melancholy. He figured he should give the two space—he and Booker has already exchanged goodbyes earlier.

"You'll come visit?"

"Every holiday. And then some."

"Okay. I'm holding you to that, you know."

"I'd expect nothing less. I promise, I'll keep in touch."

"Pinky promise?"

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny."

"I _am _serious, though, Elizabeth. Look out for yourself and come visit every once in a while, and make sure that you're staying safe and—"

"_Dad. _I get it. We've been over this. I'm safe as long as I'm with Dante."

"I swear it on my own life." Dante reassured from his spot, still unmoving.

Booker gave him a look of dead seriousness. "I'm holding you to that, or I swear—"

"_Dad,_" Elizabeth emphasized for the millionth time. "We've been over this already, you two have already had the talk. I know you both like to think of me as some sort of helpless damsel in distress, but it's just not true. I can look after myself you know. But Dante's got my back."

"That I do," he said from his position by the TARDIS. "Speaking of, we'd best be off, Booker. We'll come visit around her birthday, which, if memory serves correct, should be soon-April 24th. I've fixed up your house phone so that it can contact the TARDIS whenever and wherever, anytime and anyplace. You just give us a call if you need anything."

"I'll be sure to," Booker nodded, smiling at him warmly. "You remember that talk I gave you. Keep her safe, and come back in one piece. Thank you both for everything. The memories, the house, even the furniture, and the...time travel, I guess. That was a bit wacky, but that rocket was sure impressive. I'll call you soon. Update me, yeah?"

"Yes, yes. We've been over this already. As soon as we're off, I imagine you'll be ringing us up. Don't get too worried if we don't answer, mind you-we might just be in the middle of a life or death situation. _Again, _if the stories Dante's been telling me are accurate. If we don't call back within the day, _then _you can start to worry."

"Believe me, I will. Now, I guess you guys really do have to go, don't you?"

"We do," Dante said, looking meaningfully at Elizabeth. "We're aiming to be somewhere particular quite soon. Can't say for certain-quite the surprise I'm planning. But we'll be sure to phone and tell you all about it. Now, we must be off!" He added a little dramatic flair to the end of this sentence with a twirl of his finger.

Elizabeth actually giggled at that, turning back to Booker for a moment and smiling apologetically. "I will come back. I'll phone, and I'll come visit. I know you're worried, not just about me but about me leaving you and never coming back. But this isn't Columbia. It's not Rapture. I'm coming back, and I won't forget you."

"I won't forget you either, Elizabeth. I'll still miss you, and...I love you."

"I love you too, Dad. Now-"

"Right, right. Well, get on with it, then. Go have your adventures, or save the world, or whatever." he didn't say this begrudgingly or hurtfully-in truth he was glad his daughter was getting this opportunity. It's what she had always wanted, even before she had met him. And now, she was getting the life she deserved, and her dream was coming true. With all said and done, Dante closed the door of the TARDIS as it finally took off, disappearing from sight and leaving nothing behind but the telltale sound of the brakes being left on.

_**XxxxX**_

Booker, in all honesty, was having a bit of a rough time of things. He'd just put his six-month-old girl to bed, after a whole evening of fussing and screeching, and at one point one of the neighbors had even banged on the door to complain. He'd tried everything, but eventually she's just gotten tired and drifted into slumber. Booker swore that if anything woke her up, he'd kill it. He wasn't even joking. After closing the door to her room, and deciding that he'd sort through all the paperwork on his desk tomorrow, he decided to sink into his apartment's only chair and rest for a moment. Maybe even take a smoke. He knew he should probably quit, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment.

He was halfway asleep when there was an abrupt and short knock on the door-three quick raps, punctual but loud. Loud enough to wake Anna. He glanced towards the door to her room for a second, listening, but after hearing nothing, he sighed, getting up to get the door. Opening it, he saw no one down the hallway, but looking down he did see an envelope addressed to him.

_Booker,_

_Here's your second shot. Don't waste it. And take your daughter to Paris, for God's sake. Once she's old enough to appreciate it, of course._

_-A friend._

_P.S. Drop the booze and tobacco. It doesn't suit you._

Booker frowned, raising an eyebrow as he examined the object concealed inside the envelope, wrapped inside the letter. At closer inspection he realized that it was a lottery ticket. If it was a winning one...well. With this, he could pay off all his debts and afford a better life for him and his daughter. A second chance, indeed.

He looked down at both ends of the hallway again for any sign of his mysterious benefactor, but nobody, save his old, crotchety neighbor Mrs. Barns, was there, and she didn't like him very much so he doubted it was her. He shrugged, deciding to put those famed detective skills to work to figure it out-but later. Right now, he was tired, and very, very grateful, and so he decided that after this incredible stroke of luck, he was going to retire for the evening.

_**XxxxX**_

Dante turned the scanner off, just as Booker returned back inside his apartment. He turned to Elizabeth, standing beside him, and grinned.

"Well, that worked. Quite well, I could add."

"We can't be certain yet," Elizabeth reminded, though she too wore a small smile on her face. "I mean, he still only took the ticket. He could very well blow it on booze or cigarettes."

"He won't," Dante said. "I know it's hard to believe, but I have faith in him."

"I suppose that's all we can do, then. Now, that's taken care of-at last. Where to?"

"Anywhere, really. There's only one rule: it has to be amazing." He typing something into the console before turning back to her. "There's someone I want you to meet, Elizabeth. But first..."

_**XxxxX**_

"Put that down!"

"Don't eat that!"

"I told you, leave her alone!"

"It's too dark outside to go and play, for the last time…"

Brigid Tenenbaum, it was easy to see, wasn't having the best day. She didn't actually remember when the last time she had a decent day was. Ever since she had realized her mistake in creating the Little Sisters, and had subsequently dedicated the rest of her life to rescuing and caring for them, it had been one never-ending battle of exhaustion and resignation, not helped by the six present little girls running around her living room. Of course, there were around eighteen little girls-ex-Little Sisters, all of them-in total inhabiting the average sized lakehouse that they'd taken refuge in. They'd first come here a couple of months ago, when they had first escaped from Rapture-her second time, actually. She was planning to get something bigger for all of them the first chance she could, but no such opportunity had presented itself as of yet.

Today marked the third month they had spent in this place, and it was dark outside-time for bed, as they had just finished dinner and were _supposed _to be settling down for a story that Eleanor was going to read to them, but she was nowhere to be found and the girls were running rampant. The youngest ones, about five of their number under the age of seven, had already been put to bed some time ago. Tenenbaum would enjoy nothing more than to go to bed herself, but the girls always insisted on their story, and they would not be dissuaded. If Eleanor did not come back soon, she would have to send them all off to bed. Not the first time she had done so, but the ramifications would probably prove to be exhausting.

She was about to tell the lot of them to start getting ready for bed about ten minutes later when the doorbell rang. Tenenbaum looked up from the dish she had been scrubbing, arching a thin eyebrow as she glanced at the door. Who could be calling at this hour? She glanced at the clock. Eight thirty at night...she put the dish back in the sink, dried her hands, and went to open the door.

A young man stood on her doorstep, looking determined but weary as he surveyed the woman in front of him. Another woman stood off to the side, looking between the two and wearing the same expression, but hers was tinted with a bit of confusion. After a few moments of silence, the young man spoke.

"Are you Brigid Tenenbaum?" The tone he spoke in showed that he knew exactly who she was talking to, but wanted to hear her say it.

"It depends on who is asking," the German scientist responded warily. "I do not know you, nor have ever seen either of your faces, so we could not know each other."

"We don't," the other woman spoke. "But we come from common ground. You see, we've just escaped...a certain...underwater dystopia? We need your help. We know you have no reason to trust us-"

"And I do not," Tenenbaum cut in shortly, extremely alarmed at hearing that they came from the same place she had escaped from not too long ago. "Who are you, to be showing up on my doorstep and saying these things? What do you want? If it is money, or the secrets of that place, then leave now. You will regret it if you don't."

"We didn't come here for anything like that," the man intervened hastily before things became heated. "We just came here to get the ADAM out of our systems. We knew you could help us, and so we came."

"How do you know I can help you? Who has told you this?"

"We saw it around Rapture. Pictures of your face, and heard from word of mouth that you were the creator. We figured if you created it, you could help us get rid of it."

She crossed her arms across her chest. "If that is so, then it should be easy to prove. Prove to me you are afflicted, and I will gladly help you."

The man snapped his fingers as his thumb and finger were lit a flame as the woman stretched her hand out as it became translucent. Tenenbaum did not appear shocked or awestruck as expected, and as they withdrew both their hands, the scientist nodded once, opening the door wider. "Very well. I shall...see what I can do. But you still have much to tell me...why don't we start with names?"

"I'm Elizabeth, and this is Dante," the woman introduced, and stuck out a hand. Tenenbaum took it, shaking it firmly once. She repeated this with Dante, and then led them to the kitchen.

"If you are hungry or need a drink, I am afraid that we've already gotten dinner over with and the only thing in the house is juice. But I can still provide a snack, I suppose, if fruit snacks or apples are your kind of thing. Now, I will give you a moment to get your story straight-I have to put some of my girls to bed-and then when I return, you will tell me what you know. Then, I will see about helping you."

The geneticist nodded once to Dante, and then to Elizabeth, and with a final wary look in their direction, she retreated, calling out to each of the Little Sisters in turn and letting them know that it was time for bed.

_**XxxxX**_

When she returned and asked for the details of their miraculous escape, Dante and Elizabeth were ready, and gave her a modified/condensed version of the truth, making sure to avoid mentioning the fact that they were from ten years prior and that they had arrived here in a time travelling police box. Somehow, Dante felt that it would have made their story very implausible, and he did not have time to prove it to Tenenbaum that it wasn't so. Once they had finished, she was finally completely convinced, and she began to detail her plan on the ADAM removal.

"I do not have a name for it yet," she admitted, looking thoughtful. "I am thinking something biblical, but I am not sure yet. It hardly matters now, though. What matters _now _is that we get the drug out of your system as soon as possible. Which one of you first?"

"I'll go." Dante stepped up, glancing at Elizabeth. "Though, just to confirm: you will destroy the ADAM that's drawn from me?"

"Well, yes...that's what purging the ADAM from your system is. I'll take it and destroy it, by using it to make more cures. But why do you ask?"

"Well...let's just say, my bloodwork is a little...abnormal. You probably don't want to make any cures using my ADAM. Her's though, you might be able to do something with. I'm sorry I can't elaborate further, but please, just destroy my ADAM."

"...Very well." Tenenbaum, although unnerved by the elusiveness and the strange request, nevertheless resolved to comply with his wishes. "We will begin with you then, Dante. Follow me."

He got up, taking Elizabeth's hand and squeezing it once before allowing himself to follow the German woman out of the kitchen, around a few corners, and down a set of stairs, which apparently led to a basement of some sort. Upon further inspection, it appeared to be a makeshift lab of sorts, with surgical tubing, IV's and glass containers. Tenenbaum directed him to sit in a nearby chair, situated in the middle of it all. He did so, and she left him for a few minutes, tuning various instruments and collecting tubes and vials for whatever she was planning. Even Dante didn't know exactly how this ADAM removal thing was going to work—he just knew Tenenbaum had the only known reversal process, and he trusted her to do it safely and efficiently.

Tennanbaum wiped the young man's arms with disinfectant, before starting to attach tubes and IVs to his arms. He waited patiently for her to finish her preparations, and once she did he patiently waited for further instructions.

"Now, here is what will happen: this ADAM removal, it is like a...plasmapheresis, I suppose. At first you'll feel a mild sting, like a bee. Since this is ADAM, it is a part of you, and combined with your blood. The process of removing it _will_ hurt, badly, but you already know that. Are you ready?"

Dante gave Brigid a thumbs up, and she began the process. After flicking a few switches, she pressed a button as the machine began to whir. At first he felt what was like a small pinch, right before it started to feel like a spark inside him was being sapped away. He began to feel slightly tired, his eyelids feeling heavier and heavier by the second as he listened to the gentle hum of machinery, almost like a makeshift lullaby. He closed his eyes for several seconds, until he felt a sharp slap on his arm that jolted him awake.

"_Nein_! _Wach auf_!" Tenenbaum commanded harshly, before continuing her work. "Wake up! Falling asleep during a medical procedure, I do not recommend. Very unhealthy. You will need to stay awake the entire time, unless you wish for something to go astray."

"Sorry," Dante tried to apologize, but it came out slurred in his tired state. He started when he felt someone touch his hand, but relaxed when he turned and saw Elizabeth at his side. She squeezed his hand gently, and he squeezed back as well as noticed a slight look of worry on her face. "You look worried." Ping

"Yeah. I...have this _thing _about needles and doctors, remember?"

His mind flashback to Colombia and the tears that were inside Comstock House. Dante figured those few months must've been hell, not helped with so called physicians "helping" her. "Right, right. But we need to do this. If anyone got a sample of either of our DNA, with ADAM in it no less, then God knows what they could do. Besides," he glanced at the Tenenbaum. "She's more trustworthy than any of those "physicians" that _he_ had."

Elizabeth nodded. "Right." She then turned to Brigid. "Are there any ill side effects to this process?"

"Yes," Tenenbaum said curtly. It wasn't because she was trying to be rude, but she was very preoccupied at the moment and so naturally did not have time for niceties. "Nausea, extreme drowsiness, and exhaustion are known side effects. I have...tested this cure on others. One of my patients reported hallucinations right after they woke up, but they only lasted for about five hours. I will keep you here under observation for these side effects and help you cope with them. After I have declared you ADAM free, you may go after you've answered my questions."

"Fair enough," Dante answered, albeit groggily, as the ADAM was still being continually separated from his body. "That sounds like a plan. Now...no more talking. I'm...tired."

"_Nein, du dummer Junge_. Only afterwards can you get some rest. For now, just try and stay awake. Surely you can do that-already we are almost halfway done."

"If you insist."

_**XxxxX**_

"This-is this going to hurt?" asked Elizabeth some time later, shifting uneasily in the chair. "I have this...thing...about doctors and needles, like I said before."

"It will hurt a bit," Tenenbaum conceded, not sounding very sorry. "But I would say it is worth it. You saw your boyfriend go through this same procedure-if he could survive, so can you."

"I-yeah, you're right. Of course. Of course. I'm going to be fine." She didn't even convince herself.

"If I may ask," Tenenbaum began tentatively, in case this was one of those 'forbidden' subjects she had heard people talk about, "but why are you so afraid of...this? Childhood trauma perhaps?"

"Yeah, I suppose it was," Elizabeth admitted after a few moments, sheepishly, not sure how much of her past she wanted to share. She eventually decided on a vague version of the truth. Maybe she'd tell the good doctor the real thing afterwards, unless Dante advised against it. "My...father thought I had an illness growing up. He constantly had all kinds of doctors and crackshots 'treating' me. It was only when Dante fell-literally, by the way-into my life, that I was able to escape the cycle. I've reasonably developed a phobia of needles and doctors because of it."

Tenenbaum nodded as sympathetically as she could-she'd never been good with emotions, especially when they concerned others. That was one thing that had always set her apart from others, not that she really ever minded. But she could understand where the strange woman was coming from. If Elizabeth really was afraid of needles, the last thing Tenenbaum needed was the possibility of a freak out at the last second-that would ruin everything. She had learned somewhere that sometimes talking to someone through their procedure could distract them from it, so she tried this now. "Ah, I see. You know, there's a word for the phobia of doctors. There is one for needles, too-trypanophobia-which is what it sounds like you have. There are phobias for everything, from balloons to the undead...such an interesting field of study. I might look into it one day."

Elizabeth nodded, actually interested in spite of the situation, and realized that Tenenbaum was trying to distract her from her oncoming mild panic attack. She took the bait gratefully, listening as Tenenbaum continued with prepping everything for her turn. Dante had finished some time ago, and had adamantly refused to leave the lab to go upstairs and rest in one of the guest rooms, so Tenenbaum had thrown something together on a couch down there for him to rest on. He had tried to fight his oncoming exhaustion for about ten minutes before he finally, and unwillingly, gave in.

Elizabeth desperately wanted to follow in his footsteps—her eyelids felt so heavy, and she was so exhausted even though she'd gotten a full night's rest before coming here. Tenenbaum was right, it really did take a toll on the system. But she'd also said that it was a terrible idea to fall asleep during the procedure, so...she'd best hurry it up.

"That's...fascinating, and...all," Elizabeth murmured sleepily once she had finished her spiel, trying to furiously blink the sleep in her eyes. She yawned, shaking her head. "So...interesting…"

"Wake _up, _child. I know it is difficult, but you must stay awake. To fall asleep now could prove to be fatal."

"But _why, _is my question. Think you can answer that?"

"The possibility of a coma is very high if you do, due to blood loss. It's known to happen when the blood loss isn't controlled. I do not have the tools here to revive you if you should fall into one, and something tells me you would not appreciate being taken to a hospital."

Elizabeth could barely nod, squinting her eyes in an effort to keep them open. The next few minutes passed by quickly, enough, in a sort of semi-conscious blur that Elizxabeth would later have almost no recollection of. As soon as Tenenbaum's voice drifted to her, announcing that they were finished and wondering whether she'd like to join Dante on the couch, she stopped listening and finally allowed herself to fall asleep.

_**XxxxX**_

"If it's all the same to you, doctor, I'd rather see it myself that it's destroyed. How exactly do you plan on doing this?" Dante asked, a couple hours later after they'd all rested up. Tenenbaum had woken them all up some minutes ago, insisting on getting this over with before her children woke up. Now they were seated in her lab in the basement, Elizabeth rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Dante waiting impatiently for the doctor to begin, and Tenenbaum herself holding one vial of Dante's blood and another vial filled with an emerald green substance that she had informed them was what she was currently calling Reverse-ADAM.

"Very well," she said, looking almost sadly at the blood vial. "It is a shame this ADAM has to be destroyed. I could use more to work with, and your ADAM could save many lives down in Rapture…" Then she shook her head, sighing, as she placed both vials down. "But it is your request, and I suppose I must grant it. After all, I will find out soon enough, yes? Now, to business." She glanced at Dante, eyeing him carefully, and finally picked up the green vial again, pouring a drop into the blood. The blood sizzled, sending a foul stench into the air, but Tenenbaum continued, slowly pouring the entire green vial into the red one and occasionally stopping to mix them. It appeared that the green was neutralizing the red-or even better, completely destroying it altogether. Soon there was nothing left in the vial that contained Dante's blood except for a very small percent of the Reverse-ADAM, which as it sat in the bottom of the vial, quickly evaporated into thin air. The entire vial had been used to kill the ADAM, but Tenenbaum didn't seem too worried.

"And now, for yours, Fraulein Elizabeth," she said calmly, taking out the other vial-this one filled with Elizabeth's blood-and placing it where Dante's had been. She then produced another vial of the cure out of seemingly nowhere, and repeated the process again, once her ADAM was gone Tenenbaum looked at each of them in turn.

"Now, it is done. Your ADAM is destroyed. You may return to bed now, if you wish-but in the morning there will be questions. You have much to answer for, und you are fools if you thought coming to me for help would be without price. Goodnight." And with that, she promptly led the two out of her lab, locked the door, and went upstairs to her own room after showing them to theirs.

_**XxxxX**_

"Elizabeth, are you ready?"

"Are we really just going to leave? Seems...kind of, I don't know, snakish. She did us a service, and all she wants in return is answers to questions she has every right to ask."

"Well...think about it: I'm an alien hybrid from another universe and you have powers that essentially make you an all-powerful being. I don't think she'd be able to handle it."

"She's seen worse, and weirder. I don't know...it just makes me feel wrong. I mean you're right, but..."

Dante sighed. "Look...this is...sadly a common occurrence for me, and to an extent The Doctor: Show up, do something, and leave. We never stay around and we never ask to be thanked."

"I can understand not telling common civilians what you and the Doctor really are or what you do, but this is a woman who has been through some of the same things as us. You said people would be able to trust her, right? I just don't understand why we can't."

"Because we can't stop. Somewhere out there, there are worlds out there where the sky is burning, the seas sleep, and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere, there's danger; somewhere, there's injustice; and somewhere else, the tea's getting cold."

"We can't stop to answer a few questions?"

"Look, just...trust me on this, Elizabeth. Please. We've come this far, I think I've earned a bit of trust. This isn't the right thing to do, but it's the safe thing. I know you're not happy about it, and neither am I, but we have to go now." He was just about to exit the door before he stopped right under the frame. Thinking about it, how often did the he or the Doctor actually thank people who helped them. They did, on occasion, but more often than of then they just popped off in the blue box and left people to pick up the pieces. He thought, 'To hell with it. Just this once.'

He turned to Elizabeth who was glaring at him, and knew he'd be hearing an earful later, but decided to put her mind at ease.

_**XxxxX**_

When Tenenbaum awoke the next morning, she had a feeling that something was wrong. She didn't bother even getting dressed before dashing out of her room, quickly checking in on each of the girls to make sure they were all safe in their beds where they should be. They were, and then she went to check on Dante and Elizabeth. Before she even reached their doors, she smelled cooked food coming from the kitchen. She made her way there before coming to a stop and seeing her two guests sitting down at the table enjoying a plate of breakfast as well as cups of coffee and orange juice. There was even a third plate set out for her.

Dante finished taking a sip of coffee from his cup as he set it down on the table. "Good morning Ms. Tenenbaum. Hope you don't mind, but we were somewhat peckish after the whole ordeal with the ADAM extraction."

At first Brigid wanted to chastise them for just using her kitchen, but saw that pans and utensils used for cooking their meal were cleaned. So she said nothing, but sat down and began eating her own meal. It was good, nothing special, but good nonetheless. The trio ate in silence, with the occasional fork being heard scraping the plate, before all three had finished their meals. Once they were done, Dante took the plates and cleaned them off before topping off his and Brigid's cups of coffee before sitting back down.

"So, you said you wanted to ask us a few questions?"

"Yes."

"Ask away. But," he punctuated by holding up a finger. "Keep in mind that the answers you're going to hear are slightly...bent so to speak. We all have secrets we'd like to keep, so what you'll be given is the partial truth without going into full blown detail."

Tenenbaum stared at him incredulously, and felt the ridiculous urge to _laugh. _Here was this man, in her own home, in her _kitchen, _who had come to her in the middle of the night asking her for help, and he had just told her that he would be essentially _lying _to keep his precious secrets. She settled for a scoff.

"Not lying," Dante repeated, as if he had read her mind. "Just bending the truth a tiny bit. The answers provided will be mostly truthful-I'm not going to deny you your answers. So, what is your first question?"

Tenebaum narrowed her eyes at the man-it wasn't that she didn't like him, not really-she was just naturally untrusting of everyone since she had grown a conscience. But, after a moment, she sighed, and nodded. "Very well. I will accept these conditions. My first question: how did you two escape?"

"Same way as anyone else," Dante said, looking at Elizabeth, who shrugged "In a bathysphere we acquired from some acquaintances of mine. They owed me a favor, so they loaned me theirs."

"What happened to these 'acquaintances'?" the doctor asked skeptically.

"They died," Elizabeth said, using a past truth of her world, unbeknownst, of course, to Tenenbaum, "before they could escape. We were-trapped, and they told us to save ourselves. They were twins-brilliant minds who knew better but tended to either get _in _trouble or drag people into situations."

"I see," she said without much emotion, but then looked thoughtful. She seemed to be telling the truth, and she could see the sorrow in her eyes even as she spoke. The scientist nodded. "I am...sorry for your loss. It is not often that you find such people in Rapture who are willing to do the right thing for others. I wish they could have made it out with you."

The girl nodded, and Dante looked over at her, a question in his eyes, but Elizabeth gave him a look that told him to leave it for later. Tenebaum didn't notice, too busy with trying to figure out how to feel about this. Eventually, the doctor settled on her next question, and had to clear her throat to get their attention.

"What did you two do in Rapture? I suppose this is not a necessary question to answer, but I am merely curious."

"I was _employed_," Elizabeth strained the word slightly as memories of the past few months started to bubble up, and she scrunched her nose. She had to swallow down the bile in her throat before she could continue. "I was employed by Sander Cohen."

"_Cohen_? _Mein Gott, _what on earth were you doing voluntarily working for that man? You know what he does to-with-his..._disciples, _don't you? I am surprised he let a woman join his circle."

Elizabeth nodded, disgusted as she remembered the rumors she's heard and the things she'd witnessed. Even after the first day, she could never wait to get out of there. Cohen was a sick man, with twisted interests and a horrid taste for the _eccentric._ The eccentric usually being at the expense of other people, of course. "I knew, but I had no choice. I was looking for work, and no one would hire-I had talent enough for him, and he had money, so that was that."

Tenenbaum nodded, understanding at last of this. She knew what it meant to be forced to work under less than ideal circumstances, and having to take what jobs you could get. Rapture was not a bit the idealist community Ryan had envisioned-maybe it never had been. She turned to Dante after expressing as such to Elizabeth, eyeing him up and down. "And what of you, Herr Price? What was your occupation?"

"Nothing much, to be honest-in fact I was actually only there for a short while. I was hired by Elizabeth's father, still on the surface, to get Elizabeth out of Rapture-she'd managed to send him some communication from the city, and he was able to devise a plan to get her out. After I met her and we spent some time together, well...we fell for each other."

"I see. That was incredibly lucky for both of you, then-it is truly miraculous that you are both standing here now. Speaking of which, though-and now here is one of my final questions-you came to me for the ADAM extraction. How did you know where to find me? And how much of it do you think you had inside you?"

"Almost enough to start seeing ghosts, but not quite. We had heard stories about that and decided to look for you. As for how we found you, before our acquaintances died-some time before that, I feel the need to mention-they gave us directions on how to find you for ADAM removal. I don't know how they knew where you might be."

"This is sounding very suspicious," Tenenbaum said, eyes narrowing. "I would like to know the names of these 'twins', but I suspect you will not be forthcoming with that information. But, you have answered most of my questions, and have been gracious guests, so I will let this one slide. So, last question." Tennenbaum took a breath through her nose before silently exhaling. "What do you hope to do now that you're out of that hellhole?"

"Well, obviously we'll need some funds. Not from you, don't worry," he assured her, at seeing her about to protest. "We have our sources. But after that...see the world, its wonders and glories. After that...well," Dante glanced at Elizabeth who returned it with a look of slight uncertainty. She became very interested in her orange juice all of a sudden. "We haven't planned that far ahead."

"It is reasonable," Tenenbaum agreed. But she said no more, and the breakfast table was silent save for the continued sounds of eating and drinking on the part of Elizabeth. Eventually the other two joined in, and they finished their breakfast in relative silence, until Tenenbaum had had time to think their responses over. Finally she pushed her plate away and rose.

"Very well," she said. "I believe your answers. I do not see any reason why I shouldn't, at any rate. You may leave whenever you wish-but preferably before the girls awaken. Thank you for not sneaking off in the middle of the night like a pair of thieves."

Dante rose from his spot of the table and held his hand out to shake hers. "You're welcome. It was the least we could do, after what you've done for us. Don't worry, we'll be leaving as soon as possible."

"I can take care of the dishes. Do you have a means of leaving? A car, or…" Now that she thought about it, she hadn't heard them come _to _the house-no car or other methods of transportation. She hadn't actually looked outside, though...

"Yes, we do," said Dante, nodding. "We'll be leaving right now, if that's alright with you."

"If that is your wish. I thank you for visiting. It is...not often I get guests."

Dante smiled. "Well, forgive me for being cliche, but you need to get out more often. Perhaps you have a close friend who can watch over your children as you take a day off for yourself? You'd be amazed at how much a little R&R can help clear your mind."

"I...will think about it," Tenenbaum says, confused, but seeming to seriously consider it.

Elizabeth said her thanks as well as she and Dante left out the front door. Just as they did, Brigid began to hear the morning ramblings of her twelve little ones. She was heading up the stairs to attend to them when she heard a peculiar noise coming from outside. Checking a window, she saw nothing but a breeze pick up a pile of leaves as it tossed them into the air. For a second she swore she saw a faded blinking light from within the leaves, but thought nothing more of it as she began the brand new day.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Dante, after their miraculous escape from the clutches of death and hell itself, plus the even more incredible managing of bringing Booker back to them, decided that the best thing for both of them would be to celebrate. More specifically, with alcohol and a bit of food. Also, maybe a little music and dancing wouldn't hurt.

He selected a song from the tape deck-Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen-and grabbed Elizabeth's hand, dragging her to the dance floor. She at first hesitated, having never really danced before, but soon she got into the strange music as Dante taught her how to move. Eventually, they fell into a rhythm of sorts, Dante for the most part leading Elizabeth across the floor as the song played. Soon, however, the song ended, and as the next one began to play, he separated himself from her and crossed over to the tape deck and switched it. The next song that played was Dream On, and as the notes began to fill the air and he returned to his partner, Elizabeth paused, listening.

"I know this song," she said thoughtfully. "Well, maybe not _know. _But I've...I've heard these lyrics before."

Dante responded with a grin, all too happy to remind her. "Remember The Graveyard Shift in Finkton? I sung it there when we were taking a breather."

"Oh, that's right! My god, it...it feels like forever ago, doesn't it?"

"It hasn't really been that long, but it certainly feels like it. That's the problem with having so much trauma packed into so little time—it all tends to blend together."

Elizabeth nodded, a small, sad smile on her face as she looked away at something in the distance. Dante looked to see what she was staring at, but saw nothing but the console, which held nothing of particular interest. He figured his partner was just lost in space, so to speak. Very funny choice of words. He nudged her to bring her back to the present, and she started suddenly.

"Sorry," she said apologetically, returning her attention to Dante and beginning to slow dance again. "I was just...thinking."

"Of?"

"Nothing important," she said, sighing deeply. "Nothing worth really thinking about. The past is in the past. We can't change it, so we shouldn't bother worrying about it, right?"

"True. Though, for someone like me, the past can sneak up when least expected."

"Well, let's hope that doesn't happen when I am in your company, Mr. Price," she murmured slyly, grinning.

The conversation ended there for the moment as the two twirled and sidestepped around the TARDIS to Aerosmith, dipping low and almost tripping a couple of times but managing to adapt to the new rhythm. They danced to a few songs after that, until they both decided to take a small break—Dante has said that I was because he was starving, and he had a food he wanted to introduce to Elizabeth, but in truth he was running out of slow songs to dance to.

He led her to the kitchen, which looked as futuristic as the TARDIS' console room, but still had a full kitchen, where he went up to a panel with a platform sticking from it was on the wall.

"What is it?"

"Allow me to explain. Now, most if not all TARDIS' come with a food dispenser. It normally dispensed foil-wrapped blocks, served on paper plates, that looks like blocks of cheese or tofu. But when eaten tasted like whatever food had been programmed into the machine – such as bacon and eggs. But the Doctor got bored or tired of it, can't remember which, and he uninstalled it for a regular kitchen, which," he motioned to the room, "you can see here. But after one of my trips, I decided to install something else." Turning to the panel he spoke, "Computer, glass of water, cold." And like that, a glass of ice water materialized into the panel. Dante took a quick drink of water before saying, "This is a food replicator, it can replicate any food or drink you can think of. Plus, it saves the trouble of dish washing, but occasionally I like to whip something up handmade."

"And I imagine you have something very special to show me in terms of cuisine, otherwise we wouldn't be here. But, as usual, you are making it take longer than it needs to be by showing off." She smirked, as Dante stuttered an excuse/objection. "Well, what is it?"

"Computer, one New York style eight slice pepperoni and sausage pizza."

Like the glass of water, the replicator materialized a box that had the words PIZZA labeled on it. He took it out and carried it over to the counter before opening it to reveal a piping hot pepperoni and sausage pizza. Elizabeth peered inside, frowning at the delicious yet odd smell emanating from the box, and the weird concoction inside.

"What is it?" she asked cautiously, as Dante took two paper plates and loaded a piece on each of them. He then ordered the device to conjure up a couple of drinks for them, Coca-Colas for now—actual alcohol could come later.

"It's called pizza. It's pretty good, amazing actually, and a very popular food in the future. You'll love it, trust me."

Dante took hold of his slice before Elizabeth did the same, mimicking his movement, before taking a bite into it. Her eyes widened in surprise at the extremely flavorful taste, and she turned to Dante, swallowing.

"Does all pizza taste like this?" she asked, picking at a piece of sausage and throwing it in her mouth. "Because this is amazing."

"It varies from what's put on it. Except pineapple and anchovies." Dante shook his head. "Never understood why some people eat their pizza with either of those on it."

"Pineapple? On pizza? Why?"

"Honestly, even I'm not sure."

"People fear what they don't understand," Elizabeth shrugged, taking another bite and again savoring the taste.

"If that ain't the truth."

_**XxxxX**_

The two finished off the pizza, Elizabeth marveling all the while at the wonder of modern cuisine, and finishing off their Colas before breaking out glasses for an alcoholic beverage that Dante was being very shady about, but promised was very delicious.

"What even is it?"

"Well, I forgot what the name of it was, but uh…" Dante examined the bottle thoroughly, although no label was on it. He grinned sheepishly at Elizabeth, who raised an eyebrow. "It's green."

"Is it called 'green'?"

"No, but…" He uncorked the bottle and gave it a quick whiff before pouring himself a glass full. "I remember it goes down pretty smoothly."

"You first," Elizabeth challenged, and Dante raised his glass before downing the contents in one go.

"Just as good as I remember it." He raised the bottle over Elizabeth's glass. "Wanna try?"

"Well, if you insist," she said, taking the proffered glass and trying to accomplish the same feat, only to choke on it. She tried again with much smaller sips, and finally finished the glass in about a minute. "That...was actually quite good. Do you remember the name yet?"

"Not quite, but I do know it's a type of whiskey." Dante filled up his glass and Elizabeth's once more. "Let's try something: name a person of historical or literary interest and I'll let you in on an exploit either the Doctor or I have had with them. For example, he and I took escape lessons from Houdini. Full on chains, straightjacket and in tanks of water."

"Houdini?"

"He was an escape artist. Did it for kicks and attention for the most part. Heck, man was crazy enough to swim the rapids of Niagara Falls."

"Oh, I've read about Niagara Falls. I'd love to see them one day, the pictures are gorgeous. But you're telling me that someone was actually fool enough to go down there?"

"Oh, yeah. It's not the dumbest thing in the history of fools, but it's certainly up there. In the Hall of Fame, maybe. And you know what? It was all for a movie." Elizabeth gasped as Dante chuckled, taking another sip of his drink, but then something occurred to him that might interest his romantic partner. "Hey, speaking of, fun history fact: did you know that the first movie with sound was made in 1927? I know you've seen movies with sound before, but I thought you might like to know."

"Really? Now _that's _interesting…"

As they sipped at their green space alcohol, which Dante later revealed was actually called Aldebaran whiskey, Dante and Elizabeth swapped secrets and long-hidden dreams with each other, each one just as eager to completely unlock the other as quickly and thoroughly as possible. They shared childhood crushes, childhood aspirations, their favorite memories, places they wanted to go, things they wanted to do. They slowly revealed themselves to one another, sharing things they'd never thought they'd get to and things they'd been dying to tell someone else but never got to-until now. It was a wonderful, nostalgic, and almost bittersweet hour gone by, and they both enjoyed it greatly until the subject gradually shifted from their pasts to his. More specifically, his adventures before he'd met Elizabeth.

"Come on," she urged him, nudging him playfully and almost knocking over his glass of whiskey. "You're always telling me how fabulous it is living untethered and out in the wild like this. Surely you've run into your fair share of trouble-you must have some wild stories."

"Well, what about you?" he countered, returning the shove and actually accidentally spilling a tiny bit of liquid on her shirt, but she didn't seem to notice-if she did, she didn't act like she cared. "I mean. Columbia, then Rapture-there was a time when you went unaccompanied. Surely _you _have some dashing accounts of misadventure you'd like to share."

He was half-joking, but Elizabeth took him completely serious. "No, not really. For the most part it was rather boring. I made some friends by accident-those were the real ones, mind you, but none of the stories of how they came to be are of particular interest. I didn't particularly enjoy my time there, and I'm glad to be shut of that place."

Dante nodded. It made sense. Hell, even before all of the crap with Comstock had happened, he hadn't exactly felt at home in Rapture. Just a few hours in the city, even before its inevitable descent into madness, was enough to make him jumpy. "Well, then. I suppose my adventures will have to do. Did I ever tell you about the time I…"

By the time the second hour had rolled around, they were on their second bottle of Aldebaran whiskey, which Dante seemed to have an endless supply of ("What? It's good stuff! Besides, I don't see you complaining."), and he and Elizabeth were considerably drunker. They were a couple of glasses away from being done with this one, but neither of them noticed as they were caught up in Dante's retelling of (reference to some grand adventure he'd had). As he moved his arms around to accompany the words he was speaking, swishing and punching them around when it was called for, and sometimes using them to describe what he was saying, Elizabeth was forced to duck or step out of the way several times to not be punched accidentally. She didn't mind though. As he finished his story, and he finally set his now empty glass down, he noticed that he needed a refill. He looked at the bottle, picking it up, only to realize that there was only enough whiskey for one glass...and Elizabeth's was empty as well.

He was about to make some sort of deal-even he didn't know what he would have offered, or maybe he would have simply told her that there was always more-when she took advantage of his momentary surprise and grabbed the bottle from his hand, downing the rest of the bottle in one swig. Dante looked at her, his surprise shifting targets and mounting as she gave him an evil smirk.

"What?" she drawled, alcohol coating her breath as she exhaled in his face. "You want some? Too bad." She was definitely drunk-her words were slurring together a bit and her eyes were half-lidded, unfocused.

Dante could feel himself being slightly drunk-he usually only got buzzed when drinking even the strongest of alcohol, thanks to his half-Timelord physiology, unless it was ginger beer. As such, he was only slightly drunk, and in far better shape than poor Elizabeth, who was eyeing him with a look he wasn't sure he liked, until she slid up to him and put her hand on his chest.

"I mean, I'm sure you have more of this stuff. But _why_ should you go get it? I could always share…" With that, she dropped the bottle, ignoring the way Dante deftly caught it in his fingers without even moving, and crashed her lips into his.

* * *

**Lemon Start**

* * *

Throughout their small make out session, which quickly became something much larger, the two somehow stumbled their way back to the console room. Dante grabbed at Elizabeth's shirt, trying desperately to tear the article from her torso, but he was unwilling to part with her lips for anything longer than a few seconds. Dante did eventually take a moment to break away, long enough to set out a blanket for them before the drunk Elizabeth persisted further. He felt a little wary about doing this with her—it wasn't that he didn't want to, far from it, but she _was _drunk. She clearly wanted him the same way, though, so he didn't ponder it further beyond that.

Dante then felt her hands slip under his shirt and rubbed his abs and chest before tugging at the article of clothing. Understanding the implication, Dante pulled away and let her take his jacket off, tossing it off to the side. He returned the favor by taking off her own shirt, followed by her bra, flinging it off to the side as well. She then peeled off her pants, tossing those as well, as she laid down on the blanket, naked as the day she was born.

He took the opportunity to do the same, undoing his jeans and pulling them down along with his boxers. He wrestled out of his shirt and discarded it in the direction of Elizabeth's own clothes. Finally, he rejoined her, kneeling down on the blanket and over her.

"Now, just relax, and I'll see what I can do." He didn't wait for an answer as he kissed her and sent his tongue in, making her moan while she felt him knead her breasts, sending jolts of pleasure through her body. He then kissed her jaw bone and neck, slowly working his way down until he reached her breasts. He then took the right nub between his lips and sucked.

"Oh god!" Elizabeth moaned while arching her back when she felt the suction and its effect. "Whatever you do, don't stop."

Dante just increased the suction, making her moan louder. He swirled his tongue around the nipple before giving the other breast the same treatment. While he did, he let his right hand slowly snake south until he felt wetness on his fingers. Stopping just about her slit, he pressed down lightly which caused Elizabeth to draw in a sharp breath.

"Someone's happy." He noted when he took his mouth off and out it next to her ear, speaking in a low and husky tone that made her shiver with pure delight as she felt his warm breath caress it. He pressed down a bit harder to draw another moan from her. "Am I right?"

"Y-you have no idea." Elizabeth groaned.

"So, what's next?" Dante asked. He knew what she wanted, but at the moment, he was enjoying teasing her and seeing how much pleasure he could draw from her as slowly as possible. Elizabeth moaned in frustration, pulling him close enough to kiss him gently. Dante sighed into the kiss and decided to start, being on top and positioned to enter. Before that, he pulled back to confirm Elizabeth was still sure about this.

One look into a face full of love and devotion helped quell his turmoil.

"Ready?" He asked.

Elizabeth nodded as Dante slowly lowered himself until his lower head brushed against her outer lips. Both of them felt a bolt of shock shoot through them as they felt warmth from the other flow at the point of contact but Dante slowly kept lowering himself into her, both groaning as he did. Elizabeth could feel her walls start stretching to accommodate the intrusion much more than his fingers had forced them to and feeling the friction of skin on skin was divine. This went on until Dante felt a barrier and, looking at Elizabeth, she nodded while biting her lower lip. He kissed and held her as he pulled back slightly, then pushed forwards, tearing through the barrier with ease while Elizabeth's grip tightened around him as she whimpered slightly at the pain of losing her virginity. Dante stopped didn't dare move until he felt Elizabeth nod through the kiss and took that as confirmation to keep moving. He moved a bit and after not hearing an objection, he kept moving until his hips were pressed firmly against hers.

"You can move now." He nodded and started pulling out, instantly noticing the cold feeling as he did and the inner walls of Elizabeth clamping down slightly, trying to keep him in. He pushed back in and the black haired woman groaned as she felt it. "More..." He pulled out and pushed back in harder than before, making her move from the force behind it and pleasure to scream through both their bodies from the friction between their skin. Dante slowly started picking up speed and power, pulling out farther and farther before slamming back into Elizabeth, pleasure starting to soar to heights she didn't know existed as she felt every vein on his tool rubbing her in all the right places. Both participants breathing started picking up and sweat started coating their bodies until Tobias had pulled all the way out only to slam back in making Elizabeth scream.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Elizabeth screamed at the top of her lungs as she felt her pleasure start to peak, making her wrap and lock her legs around Dante to pull him in deeper. "Harder, faster!" She couldn't scream anything else, her high brain functions were shutting down so the rest could focus on the tension building between her legs. Dante her walls were starting to tighten and wetness was increasing, indicating her release was fast approaching and he could feel her pleasure mixing with his own, pushing him closer as well. They kissed but with the motions they were making which were shaking their bodies made it crude and messy, but it worked as Dante tightened his hug around her, smashing her breasts against his chest.

Elizabeth felt something snap inside her and her walls clamp down firmly on Dante to pull him in deeper while she expelled all the air from her lungs in one giant scream and her body became nothing but pure, undiluted ecstasy. A minute passed as the pleasure subsided, Elizabeth resting her head on Dante's chest as they both panted with satisfaction.

* * *

**Lemon End**

* * *

"So..." Dante started to question, but Elizabeth understood it.

"You...are...I can't even put it into words..." She panted with closed eyes and a smile that should've split her head in half. Her entire being was now an intoxicating mix of pleasure, love, and a deep seated tiredness and warmth inside her. Dante chuckled and kissed her. "I'm glad I could do that."

With that, the two proceeded to drift into a blissful, dreamless sleep.

_**XxxxX**_

Dante's eyes stirred, fluttering open and shut for several moments as he tried to process all the thoughts in his head. He vaguely remembered what had happened last night, but as he gradually returned to consciousness, it all came back to him. He finally opened his eyes, blinking away the sudden bright light, to see through the glass platform to the ceiling of the TARDIS above him. As his senses returned to him, he absorbed a couple of things he'd forgotten about until just now, including the blanket underneath him and a certain brunette at his side, still blissfully asleep and curled up against his chest. At first, Dante thought the only sound around was the sound of their breathing, but as he listened closer he could also hear the ship still in flight-no turbulence or feedback. That was a good sign. He looked down out of curiosity, and saw that one, his lower half was thankfully covered by the second blanket he'd laid on top of them last night. Two, Elizabeth Anna DeWitt, the woman he'd saved from two cities, promised to show the stars to, and the love of his life was waking up, groaning a bit as no doubt her hangover was catching up with her.

He smiled, giving her a peck on the forehead. "Morning."

Elizabeth sneered, though not at him, and mumbled something incomprehensible as she tried to pull the covers over her head.

Dante just shook his head, smiling in amusement. "How about I make us some coffee? Then will you get up?"

"No," was the mumbled answer. "Head hurts. Leave me alone, I'll...I'll get up one day."

Seeing there wasn't any other way to get her up, he decided that he at least wasn't going to get anything done lounging around. Wrapping a sheet around him as he stood, he made his way to the kitchen. Once there, he made two coffees and grabbed a small pill from a cabinet. He got back to the console room and held the medicine and coffee in front of Elizabeth, who managed to crack an eye open.

"It'll help," he explained. "You don't need to get up, but I'm sure it'll do that for you. It'll lessen the headache."

Elizabeth said nothing, but she did take the pill and the proffered cup, taking a small sip of the coffee once the pill was placed on her tongue. She made a face at the bitter liquid, but shook it off easily. She raised the cup to his face in a salute, then began to slowly down the cup. Dante left her to it, going to see if he could find their clothes before her hand grabbed his.

"No. Stay...warmth."

Dante heeded her request, smiling softly, and sat right back in their makeshift bed, taking a sip from his own cup of coffee. They sat there in silence for the longest time, merely enjoying each other's company, and when Elizabeth was about half-way done with her cup and awake enough, Dante moved to leave again.

"We need clothes," he mentioned to her, but she tugged him down again, unwilling to have her personal space heater leave.

"I think I saw one of your shirts over there. Pass it to me, I think I'm good otherwise. Oh, but maybe you should get me some of my more...personal items? But as for clothing, the shirt's good."

He tossed her the shirt, and as she put it on and buttoned it up, he searched for some briefs to put on himself. Once they were somewhat covered enough for their individual tastes, he returned to the makeshift bed and sat next to her again.

"So, what would you like to do now?"

"Well-well, I don't know. What do you usually do around here, when you're not off on daring adventures or saving damsels in distress? Or the world, for that matter?"

"Well, normally I like to read. Listen to music, maybe, while I'm doing other things such as experimenting or maintenance. Even I have a tendency to get bored, so I tinker every now and then. Anyways, I have a whole library around here somewhere, as you already know, so unless you're already reading something, we could give that a look."

"Is that the room with the swimming pool as well?"

They talked for a bit about this, and other things before the sound of the TARDIS landing interrupted them. By that point they noticed they'd been inching closer with one of the sleeves of Dante's shirt Elizabeth was wearing being pulled down. The got up, readjusting themselves, and headed up to the console. It wasn't until Dante checked the screen that his face paled in realization.

"Uh, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth didn't even need to see his face to realize that something was very, very wrong. "Oh no. What is it? Do we need to run? Hide?"

"Nothing quite so dramatic, no. But, ah," he looked around, trying to find the nearest article of clothing before finding Elizabeth's shirt and tossing it to her. "We should probably get dressed."

She started walking over to the screen. "What's going on?"

"No time to explain. You get dressed, I'll try to stall them as long as I can."

"Who are they?"

"No time! Go!" He would have continued, maybe barked some more orders, but the sound of the front door unlocking cut him off. He quickly and expertly manipulated the controls of the TARDIS to manually lock the doors again, much to the dismay of the people outside.

"Oi! That's rude," someone shouted from outside, sounding slightly dismayed at this lack of civility. "Mind letting us in? Just got finished with a date with River and need to drop her back off."

Dante pressed a button on the console as he heard a brief ringing from the outside phone before it was picked up.

"_Okay, better. Now Dante, do you mind letting us in_?"

"Yeah, yeah, just," he struggled to get his pants on for a brief moment, "just give me a minute or two."

"_What are you even doing in there?_" the person outside asked, slightly curious as to why his protege would lock him out of his own ship. It wasn't something he'd said or done, was it? He fervently hoped not.

"Just cleaning up a bit. Don't want you both to walk in on a mess I made, right?"

Before the first voice could retort, a second voice spoke from the background. "_Let me have a go, sweetie._" This voice was a strangely comforting one, one which Dante recognized as belonging to a woman who was not afraid to bring a gun everywhere she went. "_Dante, it's me, River. Could you open up? We don't mind any mess._"

Dante froze while trying to get his shirt on, wincing as he realized the rather embarrassing situation he was in while talking to his pseudo step-mother. "Hi, River." He tried to keep the nervousness out of his voice, but he wasn't quite sure he accomplished that. "Look, I had a nasty run in with a Slitheen and some of it got in. I've been pretty busy wiping down the console room of any…remains, and I'm almost finished."

He heard a slight chuckle from the end of the line. "_Good try, but, I can tell when you're lying to me._ _Now tell me what's going on, otherwise I'll..._"

The last bit came out a bit incomprehensible(at least to Elizabeth), but Dante knew that even if she did what she said she'd do, she still couldn't really do anything to make him open the door. Still, he didn't really want to take the chance, so he reluctantly rang her back and said, "Fine, fine. I'll open the door. I don't know why you're so impatient, or why you can't wait." He looked around for any site of Elizabeth, only to find that she'd disappeared. He heaved a brief sigh, and the doors were unlocked and the duo finally stepped inside.

The man, who was none other than the Doctor himself. He wore a purple-brown cashmere frock coat and waistcoats with a blue button up shirt and bow tie. He had a baby-like face, a distinct chin, and slicked back brown hair with bright eyes always filled with wonder and excitement at the worlds around him.

River Song, the woman who entered with him, wore black boots, pointed at the front with heels. Next was a v-neck dress that was a light forest green, hanging in folds that hung from the shoulders. Her face was tanned and she had hair that was blond extremely curly and poofed out. However, her eyes were of an interesting note, as they looked blue but bordered on grey-ish green.

"Dante?" River called out, looking around for him. "Oh, where did that boy get off to."

Said "boy" appeared in view as he came up from under the TARDIS console. "Here I am. So sorry about that, I just had to make sure everything was in top shape before I picked you two up."

River raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, as she looked around the place. Though it was clear to her that something was amiss, she decided to play along, allowing him to think he had gotten away with his little fib. "I'll say this much, you're a slight better upkeep than Sweetie here."

"Oi, I'll have you know that-" Before the Doctor could continue his protest, River just covered his mouth with her hand.

"Nonetheless, you did an admirable job." The two walked further in towards the TARDIS console, the Timelord looking over the controls.

"So…how was the date?" Dante asked, trying to make conversation, all the while looking for any sign of Elizabeth. Subtly, of course-he didn't want his pseudo parental figures knowing he'd spent a night with a girl they'd never met, though Dante intended to change that today.

"Oh, it was lovely." The Doctor's eyes lit up as he began to recount his date with River, which apparently involved a double date with Riddell and Nefertiti, both of whom Dante hadn't seen since the Silurian ark. All the while he was talking, having Dante's undivided attention, River had decided to look around a bit. She knew he was hiding something but wasn't sure until she saw a jacket hanging over the side of the railing.

She picked it up, inspecting it closely, and realized that it was one of those old aviatrix leather jackets that Dante didn't usually wear. It took her a second to realize that this was also a _woman's _jacket, and she lifted the fabric to her nose and sniffed it.

The smell of alcohol, perfume and a slight musk emanated from the jacket, promising not very appropriate things that had happened between Dante and the owner of this jacket. River gently replaced the jacket where it had been and wiped her hand on her shirt.

Despite the implications of what happened, River didn't mind that there was someone new on board. She was actually delighted to have someone over for once that _wasn't _the Doctor or Dante. It got..._bland_ sometimes. River correctly guessed that his little distraction had been to try and hide his companion somewhere that they wouldn't find her. River was surprised to find herself a tad hurt at this realization. Why would Dante have felt the need to hide a companion of his away? Did he think that the Doctor or she would disapprove? Well, she knew that the Doctor wouldn't approve of what had happened between the two, (especially under the console) but as for her, she didn't care. As long as he used protection, that is. Otherwise, she couldn't think of what was so bad about this person that Dante had felt the need to hide them from at least her-she would think he taught him better, and besides, if she or the Doctor objected, they'd be hypocrites.

"River! River, where have you gone off to?"

She started, ripped out of her musings, and picked up the jacket again, deciding to have a bit of fun with the young man as she headed back towards her companions. She made sure to conceal the jacket behind her as she came into the room again, looking far too innocent to anyone actually paying attention.

"Where did you run off to?" Dante asked, sounding a tad on edge.

"Oh, just having a look around, trying to see what you cleaned up," she answered slyly. "Looks like you forgot to put this away, so I thought I'd bring it up." Now she revealed the jacket behind her, lifting it up nonchalantly and waving it a bit. "Who's is this, by the way?"

"It's mine, or at least it's from the TARDIS wardrobe," Dante responded evenly, though there was a hint of panic in his expression. He knew he was about to be caught-River already knew, or at least suspected, but he had no intention of letting the Doctor find out. "Where'd you find that?"

"On the railing downstairs," she said, moving past him and moving to stand beside the Doctor himself, who was looking thoroughly confused. "Can't imagine how you might have missed it."

Dante started looking slightly concerned. "Well, I missed it so…" The thought then crossed his mind: why delay the inevitable? He was meaning to have them meet Elizabeth, but then again, foresight tends to be a pain at the worst times. "So...I don't think I can delay this any longer. I know that look in your eye, River. Anyways, I think it's time I introduced you." He turned around towards the corridor and called to an unseen figure, "Come on out."

Elizabeth, finally appropriately dressed as she was thankfully able to sneak to the wardrobe before the duo had barged in, now emerged from the shadows that she'd been watching from, smiling apologetically and waving a hand. "Uh, hello. I'm Elizabeth...DeWitt."

River smiled, not losing her teasing mania but softening it and reaching her hand out for the girl to take. "Pleasure to meet you, I'm River Song. Hopefully you've heard of me."

The Doctor almost shoved her out of the way in his haste to shake the newcomer's hand. "Yes, yes! Hello! Right, it's nice to meet you, I think. Is it?"

"Um…" Elizabeth looked at Dante, bewildered, but he just shrugged. His expression said 'just go with it', and so she did. "Yes, it is," she declared, somewhat unsure. "It's nice to meet both of you. Dante's talked about...you?" The statement became a question as Elizabeth looked from the strange man in front of her to her boyfriend. "I assume you're Dante's mentor?"

"Yes, I'm the Doctor, pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth. Now," he started circling round the console, pulling switches and pushing buttons before having the TARDIS take off again. "Where are you from?"

"New York," she answered truthfully. "1893, but I...moved to...Columbia, that same year." She isn't sure exactly how she should go about telling them-she doesn't intend to hide it, since they would probably just find out anyways, but the whole story is rather long and complicated, and she doesn't want to repeat it right now. "Where are we going?"

"To drop River off. Tonight was date night."

"Where are _you _from, Ms. Song?"

"Please, just call me River. That little detail is a tad bit complicated, shall we say. All that aside, I'm currently teaching at Luna University."

"And where is that?"

"The moon." She replied casually, as if it was no big deal. It was.

"The-what? My god, the future is amazing," she remarked, still not quite over what she had witnessed yesterday-an actual, live rocket being sent to the moon with people inside. Then again, given where she had lived and the kind of things _she'd _seen, she shouldn't be all that impressed by this.

River gave a glance at Elizabeth before looking at Dante. "Got to say, it seems she hasn't seen all that much. Tell me," she went around the console and went in between the two. "How long have you known each other?"

"River…" The Doctor began to chide, gently but with a slight bite behind the words.

"Don't you "River" me, you of all people want to know more about our new guest then I do."

"It's not an insensible question," Elizabeth offered, taking River's side. "We've...oh gosh, uh. I mean we've known each other before this, definitely. A long time. But I'm not certain about the specifications…"

"Well, plus, there was a bit of a gap." Dante chipped in, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Time travel and all. Basically didn't see each other for...almost fifty years, her time of course. But _because _of the time travel, it was only about two months for me. _She_ hadn't seen me in six months."

"That's normally the case with us," River nodded over to the Doctor. "One year for me is almost undertemenable for him. That's why we have these," She pulled out a slightly worn blue journal, gazing upon it fondly. "We tend to keep track of each other with this. Either he's behind or I'm ahead, time travel and all that."

"Absolutely fascinating," Elizabeth said, wide-eyed as she stared at the journal. "How does it work? Is it science, or…"

River giggled, amused at the young woman's naivete. "No darling, we simply just keep track of when and where we meet up, all with pen and paper."

"Why? Do you seriously not have any other contact than that? Sounds very lonely…"

"Well, aside from time zones, not meeting River in the right time and a bunch of other timey wimey stuff, yes, the journal works," the Doctor explained, playing with his hands a bit. "Besides, we like to keep to ourselves. We also tend to move around a lot, so no home number."

"I...see," said Elizabeth slowly, not really seeing at all. But she got the basic concept, so that was enough for her.

"You'll get used to it eventually. Now, enough about us-tell us, what happened that you two meet each other?" the Doctor questioned.

So they did, explaining what happened to them throughout their ventures throughout both Colombia and Rapture. From the tower, to Comstock house, all the way to escaping Rapture and its curiosity peaked once they went on about the Vigors and Plasmids, the Doctor's excitement slightly deflating when they told of the artificial powers being removed. When Elizabeth brought up her abilities to open tears, the Doctor got a little nervous and asked that she didn't use them in the current universe. He didn't go into detail, but apparently a lot of his enemies would be drawn to her like a bee to honey. She looked at Dante for a type of confirmation and the concerned look on his face said it all. It was right at the end of their tale that the telltale sound of the TARDIS landing could be heard.

"Right, this is my stop. Lovely meeting you Elizabeth." River shook the younger girl's hand who returned it in kind. "Make sure to keep an eye on these two, they can be quite the handful."

"Oi!" The two in question shouted in protest, looking offended. Elizabeth just shook her head and giggled.

"I will, don't worry. Good luck with wherever you're going!"

Before the Doctor could protest any further, River gave him a quick peck on the lips and gave Dante a quick hug. "Till we meet again." With that, she walked out of the TARDIS, closing the door behind her.

"So, that was...ah...something," Elizabeth said, looking at the two of them and smiling. "I mean, it was exciting, and cool. I'm very glad I got to meet you both. But where are you headed, ah...well, should I just call you Doctor?"

"Yes, and...I'm not certain." He turned to Dante. "Any ideas?"

Dante pondered for a few seconds before snapping his fingers. "I got just the thing!" He headed over to the console and began punching in coordinates before pulling the lever.

The Doctor looked over at the monitor, his face lighting up in interest. "Really? Of all places."

"Hey, we were bound to go there at one point or another. Besides," he pointed over to Elizabeth, "It's a good way to get her acquainted with the era."

"And why would you want to do that?" The Doctor focused his attention on the date Dante had set a course for.

"Seemed like a decent starting point. Plus, well, it gives it some familiarity."

"Wait, what? That makes no sense, Dante. Where are we even going?"

"Spoilers." Elizabeth pouted in response. "But in the meantime, before our arrival, I think we should dress in the proper attire."

One quick change in the wardrobe later and the duo were in the appropriate attire. Dante had a pair of black Converse on with blue jeans, a red shirt and a light black leather jacket while Elizabeth wore a white blouse, blue jean jacket, and a blue skirt with sneakers. Dante, having had the time to get used to suddenly switching between various time periods and wardrobes, wasn't fazed at all by the change, but Elizabeth was finding it more difficult.

"Are you _sure _a skirt goes with these shoes? It feels...weird," she confided.

"You'll get used to it. Besides, better than running for your life in heels."

"It's not the shoes I'm worried about. But, if you insist. Now, where the heck are we going?"

"All in good time. But first, I want to show you something."

They headed back to the console room as the Doctor was on the first floor, underneath the console itself making slight adjustments. Dante pulled a lever quick as the TARDIS stopped. He then led Elizabeth over to the door and opened it. Outside was the vastness of space, stars littering the blanket of the void in front of them. Elizabeth gasped, almost reaching out and touching the void, but refraining at the last second. She looked at Dante with wonder and amazement in her eyes.

"How-I mean, why aren't we choking to death right now? Space doesn't have any air, technically speaking…"

"The TARDIS is protecting us with a force field."

"How big is this force field?"

"Pretty big." A slight grin slid on his face, knowing what he'd suggest next would have her swooning. "Wanna try something fun?"

"Depends," she said, her curiosity was definitely piqued. "What is it?"

"Want to see how it feels like floating in zero gravity?"

Elizabeth looked at him, startled, then seemed to realize what he meant. At first, she looked worried, and about to protest, but then she remembered whose company she was in, and smiled. "Well..._yes. _And I trust you to not let anything happen to me-after all we've been through, it would kind of suck to lose me now." She grinned cheekily.

He grabbed her hand. "I promised I will _never _lose you. Now," Dante gestured towards the outside. "Wanna give it a shot?"

"I already said yes, didn't I?"

Dante grinned back, opening the door a bit wider to let more of the stars shine through-and to actually get someone through the door. He then knelt on one knee, and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "But first...I'm gonna need your ankle."

"My ankle?"

"Well, I need to hold onto you, don't I?"

"...Fair enough." She stuck out her ankle and allowed him to grasp it firmly, and then awaited further instructions.

"Okay, so you're going to just-step out of the TARDIS. No fuss, no muss. I'll hold onto you, and you let me know when you're ready to come in. Okay?"

Elizabeth nodded, giving Dante one last smile before taking a deep breath and jumping out of the door. She half expected to fall to her death, but Dante caught her by the ankle—and she knew he would. Why wouldn't he?

She took several deep breaths, expecting to not be able to breathe for some reason, but she found that breathing out here was just as easy and simple as it was indoors. Elizabeth found herself to be floating in the air, suspended in zero gravity, in the middle of the cold, unforgiving vacuum of space. Her hair floated up with her, surrounding her head and face in a dark brown halo that swished every time she looked around. Her clothes hung off her body, rippling as if someone somewhere was pointing a hair dryer at her, or maybe more accurately a leaf blower. She felt completely weightless-the feeling, so euphoric and exhilarating, was indescribable.

Being in the space vacuum itself was an oddly familiar feeling-it felt somewhat like when she had fallen into Battleship Bay, all those...months ago? Had it really only been months? Of course, back then she'd been completely helpless, no one to pull her to shore, and she had quickly been forced to learn how to at least half-swim. Now here, with the stars and the secrets of the universes before her, and with Dante holding onto her, it felt so much better. Hope_ful, _instead of hope_less. _She realized, very suddenly, that that was what her life had become, thanks to him-before, her fate was condemned to that floating city, and now, it was spread across the worlds.

"I don't suppose you're ready to come in yet?" Dante asked, Elizabeth's wide grin mirrored on his own face. Her joy was contagious, it seemed.

She didn't respond, and hung outside the TARDIS for a while longer before the Doctor called out, "Oi, time to bring her in."

Dante looked back out to her and frowned, sighing. "I'd love to let you stay, but the Doctor says time to come in. Don't worry, this isn't the last time you'll be able to do this."did so as he pulled Elizabeth in as the gravity from inside the box pulled her back to the floor. The couple laughed for a bit before closing the doors behind them and headed back to the console.

"Right then, I'll just pop down to the swimming pool for a few laps," the Doctor said as he made his way down the corridor. Before he did, he flicked a switch and music began playing. First a few strokes of a piano, before a trumpet came into play, and only then did Elizabeth recognize the tune. Saying nothing, she began to sway back and forth, Dante holding her in his arms.

_Hold me close and hold me fast_

_The magic spell you cast_

_This is la vie en rose_

_When you kiss me heaven sighs_

_And though I close my eyes_

_I see la vie en rose_

"How long are you going to stay with me?" he asked, as the lyrics washed over him. He twirled her around once, twice.

"Forever."

With that, the two locked lips as the two continued to dance as the TARDIS flew through the void of time and space.

**_FIN_**

* * *

**A/N from RoninS636**: So...this is it. The very first story I've managed to complete. This is...idk how to put it. I really don't. But once again, I give much thanks to misterbubblesishere.

**Misterbubblesishere**: I, in turn, give as much thanks back to RoninS636 for allowing me to help bring his ideas to life, and letting me write this story with him. It's been a trip, not always pleasant, but we made it, we're here, and for the most part, I had fun doing it. It's a great feeling, working and working at something and then finally finishing it.

**RoninS636**: It does feel good. Again, I haven't managed to finish any project I've started on or hinted at but this one...it feels good. Otherwise, some of you are wondering what my next project will be. Well check the Teasers and guess. That aside, after this afterword is published, two one shots with Dante and Elizabeth will be released so be on the lookout for those. Till next time this is RoninS636 signing off.


End file.
